Rice News 4 April 2022

A
BJP 'Rythu Sadassus' to counter TRS paddy procurement politics VRC Phaniharan Hans News
Service | 4 April 2022 1:29 AM IST x Eatala Rajender HIGHLIGHTS The State BJP has decided
to join the row over the procurement of rice with the TRS Hyderabad: The State BJP has
decided to join the row over the procurement of rice with the TRS. The TRS has already
announced its programme to organise protests to mount pressure on the Centre to procure rice
from the State without imposing any conditions. It is mainly stressing that the Centre should
procure even para-boiled rice from Telangana in interest of farmers. Also Read - Khammam:
Puvvada Ajay Kumar calls for fight against Centre ADVERTISEMENT To counter this the BJP
has decided to organise 'ryth sadassulu (farmers' concalves) in a big way at Nani Gardens,
Warangal, on April 7, Siva Naresh Function Hall, Karimnagar, on April 8 and farmers' conclave
on April 9 in Mahbubnagar. Also Read - Hyderabad: BJP gives police a pat on the
https://www.thehansindia.com/telangana/bjp-rythu-sadassus-to-counter-trs-paddy-
procurement-politics-736419
RPA rep: Consumers being

exploited by local rice millers
REGIONAL EDITORIAL DEPT. 04 APRIL 2022 HITS: 126
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Rice milling machine in action.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Ramlagan Singh, a representative from the Rice
Producers Association (RPA) in Berbice, has called on the government to
ensure that the Factory Act is implemented as soon as possible, noting that
apart from rising cost for freight, there are unknown price increases that
consumers in Guyana are facing when it comes to purchasing rice.
Singh believes that if the proper regulations are in place, consumers will be
able to purchase rice at much lower cost.
According to Singh, consumers are being exploited by local rice millers,

citing that the price of a 10-kilogram bag of rice has increased from GYD
1,200 to 2,000 (US $5.73 to $9.54).
Singh pointed out that according to the Factory Act, the manufacturer should
have the retail price for the item printed on the container.
“The Factory Act states that the price of an item should be there from the
manufacturer. If you go to any mill across Guyana, there is no price label.
Every bag of rice that comes out of a mill should have a price – not like how it
is happening now; it should have a price and it should indicate the grade. It is
not happening. I am calling on the government to enforce the Factory Act so
that the price should be labelled on the bags from the miller so that the
consumer would not be exploited.”
He called on the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to enforce the

Factory Act, adding that some of the members on the Board are not
functioning in their roles and many have very limited knowledge of the rice
industry.
At the same time, Singh called for the revamping of the Pesticide Board,
saying he believes the GRDB has not been properly handling its role in the
rice industry. ~ iNews Guyana ~
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/regional/rpa-rep-consumers-being-exploited-by-local-rice-millers
GVL seeks probe into paddy procurement

‘irregularities’ in Andhra Pradesh
G.V.R. Subba Rao
VIJAYAWADA April 03, 2022 21:14 IST
Updated: April 03, 2022 21:14 IST
G.V.R. Subba Rao
VIJAYAWADA April 03, 2022 21:14 IST
Updated: April 03, 2022 21:14 IST
‘It is suspected that the funds being released by the Centre in advance are
being diverted for other purposes’
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‘It is suspected that the funds being released by the Centre in advance are
being diverted for other purposes’
BJP Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao has written a letter to Union
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution System Piyush Goyal,
urging him to take steps to investigate the “irregularities in paddy procurement and
payments to the farmers in Andhra Pradesh.”
In the letter, Mr. Rao said there were many complaints from the paddy farmers from
across Andhra Pradesh about “rampant malpractices” in procurement.
“Andhra Pradesh follows decentralised procurement system, and the State agencies
undertake procurement operations. Unscrupulous middlemen, rice millers, corrupt
officials and politicians have entered into a nexus, and have profited from paddy
procurement operations. Further, the State government has not been paying the
farmers for several months (three to six months) in most cases though it has been
receiving funds in advance from the Central government. It is suspected that this
advance fund from the Central government is being diverted for other purposes,” Mr.
Rao said in the letter.
“I, therefore, request you to undertake an independent investigation into the

malpractices and delayed payments by deputing a Central inter-Ministerial team for a
preliminary assessment,” he said, adding, “The independent team assigned for the task
must hold transparent public consultations with the paddy farmers in all the districts
with proper public announcements in advance.”
“The Central government has been releasing as advance 90% of the funds required for
paddy procurement operations to the government of Andhra Pradesh. The Central
government has given ₹34,000 crores for the purpose in the last five years,” he said.
Mr. Rao urged the Centre to either directly pay the amounts into the bank accounts of
the farmers (through DBT), or direct the State government to escrow account and
transfer the funds to that account so that they cannot be diverted, he added.
:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/gvl-seeks-probe-into-paddy-procurement-
irregularities-in-andhra-pradesh/article65287307
SPI slightly up WoW

By
News desk
-
April 3, 2022
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended March 31, 2022 recorded an increase
of 0.53 percent mainly due to increase in the prices of food items including tomatoes (41.01
percent), onions (22.74 percent), bananas (4.75 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (2.07 percent),
rice irri-6/9 (1.72 percent), and masoor (1.11 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
(PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 16.79 percent mainly due to increase in prices
of tomatoes (127.45 percent), LPG (71.45 percent), garlic (67.75percent),mustard oil
(58.39percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (56.47 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (55.28 percent),
cooking oil 5 litre (54.81 percent), onions (42.84 percent), washing soap (39.10 percent),
masoor (37.84 percent), petrol (35.25 percent), and diesel(27.00 percent).—Agencies
Pakistan Assembly Deputy Speaker rejects no-

trust motion against PM Imran Khan
By
Daily Excelsior
-
03/04/2022
Share
Pakistan PM Imran Khan advises President to dissolve National Assembly
Islamabad, Apr 3: The Deputy Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, on April 3, rejected the no-
confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling it against the constitution of Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shocked the Opposition by advising President Arif Alvi to
dissolve National Assembly.
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His announcement came moments after National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was
chairing today’s session, dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan,
terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.
“I have written to the President to dissolve the assemblies. There should be elections in a
democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections,” Khan said in an address
to the nation.
Earlier, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani dissolved the house alleging “foreign
conspiracy” and said that no-trust motion was ” unconstitutional”.
“I congratulate every Pakistani on the Speaker’s decision. The no-confidence motion was a foreign
conspiracy against us. Pakistan should decide who should govern them,” Khan added.
Earlier it was reported that Imran Khan has offered to dissolve the assembly on the condition to
withdraw the no-confidence motion against him.
Khan had said that he was given three options ahead of the no-trust vote by the “establishment” —
resignation, holding early elections or facing the no-confidence motion.
The military establishment however denied the claim and said that it did not bring the Opposition’s
options, and rather it was the federal Government that telephoned the top brass while asking for a
meeting to discuss the ongoing political scenario, The News International reported.
The Chief of Pakistan Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Directive General (DG) of
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) met Pakistan PM on Wednesday at the request of the ruling
government, according to The News International citing sources.
Imran Khan has seemingly lost support both in the lower house of the legislature and the backing of
the all-powerful Pakistan army.
Imran Khan received a massive blow when the PTI “lost the majority” in the National Assembly after
losing its key ally in the coalition Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). The MQM on
Wednesday announced that it had struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
and would support the no-trust vote in the 342-member National Assembly.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi is a former Pakistani cricketer, who after leading the
country to victory in the 1992 World Cup Final, retired from cricket and joined politics. He is the
founding Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
His political front, which he founded in 1997, remained on the sidelines of Pakistani politics until he
found favour with the military establishment, which began propping him after 2013, to counter the
growing political assertion of the two traditional mainstream parties led by Sharif and the Bhutto
families.
The military establishment is widely known to have given its tacit approval to Khan in 2016 when he
organised a massive rally and threatened a lockdown of Islamabad over the Panama Papers leak
which had implicated the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The rally propped Khan as a serious
contender for power, who enjoyed the blessings of the all-important Pakistani Army.In 1997, he
founded his own political party ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Khan contested for a National Assembly seat in October 2002 elections and served as a Member
Parliament from NA- 71, Mianwali until 2007. In 2018, Imran Khan stormed to power in Pakistan by
winning 176 votes.
Imran Khan, the seventh member of his family, was born on November 25, 1952, to a Pashtun family
in Lahore, Pakistan. He attended Aitchison College in Lahore and later moved to Oxford for higher
studies.
Hailing from a cricketing family, his cousins, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, both preceded him in
going to Oxford and captaining Pakistan. Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, an English socialite, who
converted to Islam on May 16, 1995, in Paris.
The marriage ended in divorce after eight years in June 2004 as Jemima Khan was allegedly unable
to adapt to Pakistani culture.Khan started playing cricket at the age of 13. Initially playing for his
college and later representing English county Worcester, he made his debut for Pakistan at the age
of 18 during the 1971 English series at Birmingham.
Soon, he acquired a permanent place in the team. Khan achieved the all-rounder’s triple in 75
tests.His career came to an end after the first and only ODI World Cup victory for Pakistan in 1992
with a record of 3,807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket.
He founded Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in 1991, which actively worked on the research and
development of cancer and other related diseases. He also founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial
Cancer Hospital and Research centre in 1994.
He passionately pursued healthcare interests in the wake of his mother’s untimely death, who died
of cancer.Khan was awarded ‘The Cricket Society Wetherall Award’ in 1976 and 1980 for being the
leading all-rounder in English first-class cricket.
He was also named as the Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1983 and received the ‘President’s Pride
of Performance’ award in 1983.He also got the Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year Award in
1985 and served as Unicef’s Special Representative for Sports during the 1990s. Khan was inducted
in the ‘ICC Hall of Fame’ on July 14, 2010. (Agencies)
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Previous articleEmployment Apr 3, 2022
Next articlePakistan President dissolves National Assembly, elections in 90-day
Daily Excelsior
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The Leading Daily of Jammu and Kashmir , India

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https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/pakistan-assembly-deputy-speaker-rejects-no-trust-motion-against-
pm-imran-khan/
WORLD
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Unlikely To Survive

No-Confidence Vote, Minister Says
By Ev Richard On Apr 3, 2022
0
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan
Carl Court | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Pakistan’s Imran Khan government does not expect to survive a no-confidence vote in the
lower house of Parliament on Sunday, a minister and close aide of the prime minister told
CNBC.
“The country is heading towards elections in the near future,” Information Minister Fawad
Chaudhry said Sunday, speaking via telephone from the capital city of Islamabad.
The Pakistan National Assembly will begin to debate the no-confidence motion against the
government headed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party at about 11.30 a.m. local
time.
Should the government fall as a result of losing the vote, the country will head for elections
if the opposition is not able to cobble together a government.
Asked if there was a chance that Khan could become the first prime minister in Pakistan to
complete a full term, Chaudhry demurred.
“I think we are heading towards elections … the kind of situation we are in now, the best way
is to go for a fresh mandate,” he said.
The opposition needs the support of at least 172 lawmakers from a total of 342 to oust
Khan in a no-confidence vote. Media in Pakistan are reporting that opposition parties have
managed to get the support of 177 members — without counting dissidents from Khan’s
own party.
Chaudhry also reiterated a charge made by Khan that the no-confidence vote was the result
of a “U.S. conspiracy” to topple his government because of an increasingly close
relationship with Russia. Khan was in Russia on the day the Ukraine invasion began.
American officials have denied allegations of a conspiracy. “We are closely following
developments in Pakistan, and we respect, we support Pakistan’s constitutional process
and the rule of law,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday.
https://vervetimes.com/pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khan-unlikely-to-survive-no-confidence-vote-
minister-says/
India Starts Supplying Rice to Sri Lanka in First Major Food
Aid - Latest Tweet by Reuters

The latest Tweet by Reuters states, 'India starts supplying rice to Sri Lanka in first major food aid
...'

Team LatestlyApr 02, 2022 11:45 AM IST
 A-
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India starts supplying rice to Sri Lanka in first major food
aid https://t.co/bi9XTF6H6G pic.twitter.com/scf3kuf44c— Reuters
(@Reuters) April 2, 2022
(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from
social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is
embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not
have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social
media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any
responsibility or liability for the same.)
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India supplies rice, diesel to Sri Lanka as crisis-hit country

declares nationwide public emergency
India handed over a consignment of 40,000 MT of diesel under Indian assistance
through the Line of Credit of USD 500 million.
Updated: Apr 03, 2022, 10:50 AM IST
 India has extended a part of the US 500 million oil line of credit (LoC) to Sri Lanka.
 India has supplied around 200,000 MT of fuel to the island nation over the last 50 days.
 Sri Lanka announced a 36-hour curfew from Saturday to Monday ahead of the planned
protest for Sunday
 Some two dozen social media platforms were affected including Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
Colombo: India delivered 40,000 MT of diesel to Sri Lanka on Saturday (April 2, 2022)

to help ease the power crisis in the island country. This was India’s fourth consignment
of fuel delivered to Sri Lanka under the LoC.
India has also extended a part of the US 500 million oil line of credit (LoC) to Sri Lanka.
India has supplied around 200,000 MT of fuel to the island nation over the last 50 days.
"More fuel supplies delivered by #India to #SriLanka! A consignment of 40,000 MT of

diesel under #Indian assistance through Line of Credit of $500 mn was handed over by
High Commissioner to Hon`ble Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge in #Colombo today,"
tweeted India High Commission in Colombo (sic).
India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay on Sunday said that India has
responded to urgent requests from Sri Lanka with promptness. Baglay stated that, since
January, India has extended support worth US dollars 2.5 billion to Sri Lanka.
“Besides, RBI has extended a currency swap of US dollars 400 million & deferred
payments owed by Central Bank of Sri Lanka owed to RBI under the Asian Clearance
Union worth several hundred million dollars,” said India's High Commissioner to Sri
Lanka said.
“India’s prompt assistance to the people of Sri Lanka at this hour has been appreciated
by all sections of the Sri Lankan society,” Gopal Baglay added.
Nationwide social media blackout
Meanwhile, according to an internet observatory, the Sri Lanka government imposed a

nationwide social media blackout after midnight on Sunday (April 3, 2022). Some two
dozen social media platforms were affected including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp,
YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
"Confirmed: Real-time network data show Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide social
media blackout, restricting access to platforms including Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp,
YouTube, and Instagram as emergency is declared amid widespread protests,"
NetBlocks tweeted.
36-hour curfew from Saturday
Earlier, the island country had also announced a 36-hour curfew from Saturday to
Monday ahead of the planned protest for Sunday over severe power crisis and rising
inflation.
The island nation of 22 million people is having a hard time dealing with blackouts for up
to 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign exchange to pay for
fuel imports.
Government declares state of public emergency
On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued the Extraordinary Gazette declaring a

state of public emergency in Sri Lanka with immediate effect.
"Sri Lanka: The declaration of the state of emergency in the name of public security
should not become a pretext for further human rights violations. The order declaring a
state of emergency intends to restrict the rights to freedom of association, assembly and
movement as well as due process protections," Amnesty International said in a
statement.
Rajapaksa said the emergency was declared in the interests of public security,
protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the
life of the community.
(With agency inputs)
https://zeenews.india.com/world/india-supplies-rice-diesel-to-sri-lanka-as-crisis-hit-country-declares-
nationwide-public-emergency-2450246.html+&cd=1&hl=
Pakistan in political turmoil as
leader dissolves parliament
KATHY GANNON and MUNIR AHMED, Associated Press
April 2, 2022Updated: April 3, 2022 11:56 a.m.
Comments
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister threw the country into political
limbo on Sunday, accusing the United States of attempting to oust him and cancelling
a no-confidence vote he was poised to lose. He then ordered the National Assembly
dissolved so new elections can be held.
The moves by Imran Khan appeared to trigger a constitutional crisis: Pakistan's

Supreme Court must rule on their legality, but it adjourned until Monday and gave no
indication when the matter would be settled. In Pakistan, the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan has just begun.
The dramatic episode was the latest in an escalating dispute between Khan and
parliament, after defectors within his own party and a minor coalition partner joined
the opposition and attempted to oust him from power. It was unclear on Sunday where
the powerful military — which has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-
year history — stood in the fray.
The former cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader sought to justify the
measures by accusing the United States of trying to overthrow his government. His
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of collusion with a
foreign power when he successfully filed the motion to the deputy speaker of
parliament to throw out the vote.
The opposition, which accuses Khan of mismanaging the economy, arrived in

Parliament ready to vote Khan out of power, and say they have the simple majority of
172 votes in the 342-seat assembly to do so.
Khan, who was not in Parliament on Sunday, went on national television to announce
he was submitting the dissolution request, which President Arif Alvi later executed.
“I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the
government has failed,” Khan said in his address. According to Pakistan’s
constitution, an interim government inclusive of the opposition will now see the
country toward elections held within 90 days.
In the capital Islamabad, security forces braced for the worst, locking down much of
the city as a defiant Khan called for supporters to stage demonstrations countrywide.
Giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital's diplomatic enclave,
as well as Parliament and other sensitive government installations.
Khan has accused the opposition of being in cahoots with the United States to unseat
him, saying America wants him gone over his foreign policy choices that often favor
China and Russia. Khan has also been a strident opponent of America’s war on terror
and Pakistan’s partnership in that war with Washington.
Khan has circulated a memo which he insists provides proof that Washington
conspired with Pakistan's opposition to unseat him because America wants “me,
personally, gone ... and everything would be forgiven.” He offered no concrete
evidence of US interference.
Political chaos also spread to Punjab — the country's largest province — which is set
to vote for a new chief minister. Khan's favored candidate faced a tough challenge,
and his opponents claimed they had enough votes to install their own ally. After a
scuffle between lawmakers, the provincial assembly was adjourned until April 6
without any vote.
Pakistan's main opposition parties — a mosaic of ideologies from leftists to the

radically religious — have been rallying for Khan's ouster almost since he was elected
in 2018. Then, his win was mired in controversy and widespread accusations that the
army helped his Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party to victory.
Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert with the Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace,
said the military's involvement in the 2018 polls undermined Khan's legitimacy from
the outset.
“The movement against Imran Khan’s government is inseparable from his
controversial rise to power in the 2018 election, which was manipulated by the army
to push Khan over the line,” said Mir. “That really undermined the legitimacy of the
electoral exercise and created the grounds for the current turmoil."
Pakistan's military has a history of overthrowing successive democratically elected

governments and indirectly manipulating others from the sidelines.
The opposition also blames Khan for high inflation that's hitting households. But his
government is also credited with maintaining a foreign reserve account of $18 billion,
bringing in a record $29 billion last year from overseas Pakistanis.
Khan's anti-corruption reputation is credited with encouraging expatriate Pakistanis to

send money home. His government has also received international praise for its
handling of the COVID-19 crisis and implementing so-called “smart lockdowns”
rather than countrywide shutdowns. As a result, several of Pakistan's key industries,
such as construction, have survived.
Khan's leadership style has often been criticized as confrontational.
“Khan’s biggest failing has been his insistence on remaining a partisan leader to the
bitter end,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the
Washington-based Wilson Center.
“He hasn’t been willing to extend a hand across the aisle to his rivals,” said
Kugelman. “He’s remained stubborn and unwilling to make important compromises.
As a result, he’s burned too many bridges at a moment when he badly needs all the
help he can get.”
Khan’s insistence there is U.S. involvement in attempts to oust him exploits a deep-
seated mistrust among many in Pakistan of U.S. intentions, particularly following
9/11, said Mir.
Washington has often berated Pakistan for doing too little to fight Islamic militants,
even as thousands of Pakistanis have died at their hands and the army has lost more
than 5,000 soldiers. Pakistan has been attacked for aiding Taliban insurgents while
also being asked to bring them to the peace table.
“The fact that it has such easy traction in Pakistan speaks to some of the damage U.S.
foreign policy has done in the post 9/11 era in general and in Pakistan in particular,”
said Mir. “There is a reservoir of anti-American sentiment in the country, which can
be instrumentalized easily by politicians like Khan.”
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Farmers receive portable rice mills
Elenoa TuragaiviuEditor Northeosborne@fbc.com.fj | @ElenoaFBCNews
APRIL 3, 2022 12:04 PM

21 clusters of rice farmers across the Northern Division last week received portable rice mills to
assist them to mill their own rice for home consumption.
This is part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s effort to boost local rice production in order to
minimize rice import.
Taganikula Rice Farmer, Amit Chand says it’s a big relief for them as they will now no longer be
searching for and travelling to get their rice milled.
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“We are lucky to have been able to receive one and it’s near the road, we don’t have to go far
away. Before, we used to go put the rice today and bring it tomorrow. I would like to thank the
government of the day for the assistance they are providing”.
A total of 56 portable rice mills have now been distributed to rice clusters in Cakaudrove, Bua
and Macuata.
Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy says Fiji’s annual rice import stands at around
$40m and if every farmer grows their own rice, this can be substantially reduced.
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“We want people to plant rice. Why are we paying $42 million every year to Vietnam and
Thailand to get rice? There’s no reason. No reason.”
The portable rice mill is part of the EU-funded Pro-Resilient Fiji project implemented by the
Food and Agriculture Organization to support the Ministry of
Agriculture’s wider aim in ensuring food and income security for Fijian farmers.
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https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/business/farmers-receive-portable-rice-mills/
Tricyclazole Market Projected to Grow
With Increased Application in
Agricultural Industry
The tricyclazole market has been estimated to grow at a significant speed in the near
future. The growth avenues in the tricyclazole market are attributed to the increasing
demand for paddy as the staple food crop across the world. Further, rice is commonly
used as staple food in many coastal areas around the world. In addition to this, rising
globalization has further boosted the demand for this staple food due to its wide range
of dishes where is used. Along with this factor, rice is very easy to be cooked. Thus, it has
become the key component in the agriculture industry and thus driving demand
avenues in the tricyclazole market in the coming years.
In recent years, the key players operating in the tricyclazole market are investing a
handsome amount in various R & D activities to maximize paddy output. This factor is
predicted to remain as the key driver to bolster demand avenues in the tricyclazole
market as improved pesticides formulation is predicted to serve as the primary
requirement in the agriculture industry. Furthermore, tricyclazole is toxic at a certain
level but compared to commonly used fungicides, it is much safer. Thus, based on these
factors, the tricyclazole market is likely to experience numerous demand prospects in
the near future.
VIEW SAMPLE REPORT
Growth Drivers in Tricyclazole Market
The increasing demand for the production of food products, evolving dietary
preferences, and rapidly increasing global population are some of the other noteworthy
factors that are estimated to fuel the expansion avenues in the tricyclazole market
throughout the forecast period.
Although the application of fungicides is extremely important for the health of the
plants there are certain drawbacks to their use. Tricyclazole is comparatively less toxic
in nature. Furthermore, the degree to take precautions in order to avoid environmental
toxification is not determined yet. But it has been identified that prolonged exposure to
this specific compound can lead to certain skin irritation. This factor can somewhere
curtail the growth avenues in the tricyclazole market in the near future.
TABLE OF CONTENT of this Report

https://tmrresearchblog.com/tricyclazole-market-projected-to-grow-with-increased-application-in-
agricultural-industry/
Heavy rain upstream raises alarm

Embankment in Sunamganj breached, boro harvest yet to begin
Emran Hossain | Published: 00:06, Apr 03,2022

An onrush of water from across the border breaches a flood protection embankment at Moddhonagar in Sunamganj on Saturday
morning. — New Age photo

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Saturday warned of a rapid swelling of rivers in Sylhet and
Sunamganj over the next three days due to very heavy rainfalls upstream, worrying farmers and agriculturists.
An onrush of water from across the border already breached a flood protection embankment in Moddhonagar,
Sunamganj on Saturday morning.
Sunamganj deputy commissioner Jahangir Hossain said that the flash flooding swamped at least 25 hectares of
paddy field.
‘The temporary embankment was built to expand boro cultivation on 120 hectares outside the main flood
protection embankment,’ he said while attending an emergency meeting at 9:00pm.
The meeting was discussing issuing a flood alert, asking farmers to watch for flash flooding.
The district Water Development Board executive engineer, Shamsuddoha, said that the water level was still
over one metre below the main flood protection embankment.
‘We are observing the situation closely. A flash flood this month could cause disastrous consequences as
paddies are not yet ripe,’ he said.
Vast paddy fields in north-eastern Bangladesh, accounting for a fifth of the overall output of boro rice, the
country’s main rice crop, need at least two more weeks before harvest begins.
Agriculturists also cautioned that a flood anytime in the next two weeks could bring disastrous consequences
for thousands of farmers and Bangladesh as well.
In the 24 hours till 9:00am Saturday, Cherrapunji recorded 357 mm of rain, the highest amount of rainfall
recorded this pre-monsoon season that started last month, according to the FFWC.
The India Meteorological Department warned of heavy to extremely heavy rain in upstream areas such as
Assam and Meghalaya over the next five days.
‘A flood is likely this month and we are observing the situation very closely,’ Arifuzzaman Bhuyan, a WDB
executive engineer based in Dhaka, told New Age.
The water levels in seven rivers in the north-eastern region rose at nine points, by up to 2.32 metres, in the 24
hours till 9:00am Saturday.
The FFWC in its daily forecast issued in the afternoon said that major rivers in Sylhet and Sunamganj,
especially the Surma, Dhanu and Baulia, swelled significantly after heavy rain upstream over the last three
days.
The district of Netrakona may also see its rivers rise close to the danger level over the next three days, the
FFWC forecast said.
After a brief pause for a day, heavy rain is likely to resume upstream across the border and inside Bangladesh,
said the FFWC.
The pre-monsoon season is flash flood-prone, particularly in north-eastern Bangladesh, which geographically
constitutes a water bowl where some of the world’s wettest places are drained.
The arbitrary withholding and release of water at barrages built across the border by India have complicated
the situation further, making flash flood forecasts very difficult.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute director general Shahjahan Kabir said that boro harvesting was yet to begin
in northern Bangladesh.
‘Flood is the last thing we want to see at this time of the year,’ he said.
‘The news we are hearing is worrying. We pray that rivers do not flood this month,’ he said.
Floods in Bangladesh are not always a result of rivers overflowing.
Poorly maintained flood protection embankments are easily compromised when India releases vast volumes of
water overnight, mostly without warning.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute senior scientific officer Nazim Uddin said that boro harvesting
would begin after mid-April and would peak gradually by the end of the month.
‘The harvesting will not be complete until into the second week of May,’ he said.
The prospect of flooding when paddies are almost ripe brings back the memory of the 2017 flood.
In that year, an extreme rainfall triggered a devastating flood in March that affected three-fourths of the north-
eastern regions dedicated to mostly rice production.
The 2017 flood forced Bangladesh to import rice, eventually leading to a record rise in the rice price that went
on for months.
In the following few years, flood did not affect boro harvest in the north-eastern regions.
But hailstorm and heat wave appeared as new challenges to taking a full rice harvest home in the region.
In the first week of April 2021, a rare heat wave with heavy wind left many paddy fields in northern
Bangladesh scorched.
A natural disaster affecting rice production in Bangladesh’s rice basket could give rice wholesalers yet another
reason for increasing the staple’s price amid rising cost of production owed to fuel and energy crises.
Natural disasters, especially monsoon floods, disrupted crop production in other parts of the country such as
central and western Bangladesh repeatedly over the last few years.
Last year, Bangladesh produced over 2 crore tonnes of boro rice.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/167068/heavy-rain-upstream-raises-alarm
Biswajit inspects KVK, Thoubal

Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 01 2022: Agriculture Minister Th Biswajit Singh has stated that the Rice Research Station
(RRS) located at Wangbal will be provided with the necessary infrastructural requirements and
inaugurated at the earliest to provide benefits to farmers.
The Agriculture Minister made the statement today during an inspection visit at KVK, Thoubal and RRS.
The inspection visit was conducted with the goal of solving the problems faced by farmers during Kharif
and Rabi seasons and to improve the economic condition of these farmers by equipping them with
necessary scientific input that would help them in farming, he said.
Adding that RRS will be inaugurated and be fully functional soon, he stated that the land row involving
the sub stations of RRS will be resolved and farming will commence.
Biswajit inspects KVK, Thoubal
As a large section of the population do not have a steady source of income, there is a need for increased
supervision on the Agriculture sector to produce better harvests and to improve the relations between the
Agriculture Department and farmers, he stated.
With the goal of improving irrigation, the Agriculture Department has consulted the Minor Irrigation Department
and CADA to construct tubewells wherever necessary, Th Biswajit shared.
He also shared that steps will be undertaken to provide fertilisers to the farmers as well as a market platform
where they can sell their produce.
M Gojendra, Director, Agriculture Department, Addin Panmei, Additional Director and other important officials
of the Department also joined the inspection visit.
* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is
not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.
Comment
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http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=4..020422.apr22
Regulatory approval of Golden Rice urged to
meet vitamin A deficiency
It is high time to approve the rice variety to address micronutrient deficiencies of
country’s population
Speakers at a webinar urged for the regulatory approval of Golden Rice, as it is a

sustainable source of Vitamin A.
They said consumption of the genetically modified rice variety offers a potent and cost-effective
strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency (Vad).
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) organised the webinar, "Importance of golden
rice as a choice to sustain Vitamin A sufficiency" on Saturday morning.
At the webinar, icddr,b Executive Director Tahmeed Ahmed said, "To address Vad of the
country's people, vitamin A fortified Golden Rice can be a good solution. Given the increase in
population of our country and the pressure on food security, it is high time that the regulatory
authorities approve the rice variety for the sake of addressing micronutrient deficiencies of the
country's population."
"There is a need to have a thorough discussion with the regulatory authorities including the
Department of Environment about the evidence behind Golden Rice. This could result in an early
release of the variety, so that farmers and consumers can test it," he added.
The webinar was chaired by Anwar Faruque, former Secretary of the agriculture ministry.
Presenting the keynote at the webinar, IRRI's Noel Magor said, "Bangladesh has a commendable
track record in tackling VAD in the past decades, with levels of vitamin A deficiency declining
to relatively low levels among the poorest and most vulnerable. The government tackled VAD
through large-scale capsule supplementation and other fortification programmes."
"However, many still have low to moderate vitamin A status and Golden Rice can be a
sustainable source to achieve full Vitamin A sufficiency among the people of Bangladesh," he
added.
He said Golden Rice was developed to be cultivated and distributed among the poorest and most
vulnerable as it alone can fulfil 30-40% of the average requirements of Vitamin A in humans.
"Moreover, the yield of Golden Rice is the same as the yield of BRRI-29. Any farmer can keep
the seed from the rice itself as the beta-carotene gene has been introgressed in an inbred rice
variety," Noel Magor said.
ACI Limited Managing Director FH Ansarey, Bangladesh Agriculture University Professor

Emeritus Sattar Mandal, Bangladesh Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Professor Lutful
Hassan, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Director General Md Shahjahan Kabir, Bangladesh
Country Representative for IRRI Humnath Bhandari, and other prominent civil society members,
among others, attended the webinar.
Top News
Golden Rice
COMMENTS
While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions
are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not
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Lab

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/regulatory-approval-golden-rice-urged-meet-vitamin-deficiency-
396026
NewsBusiness
Updated: 2022-04-02
Scientists point to rice crisis fears as world

worries about food
ByPatrick Huston
2022-04-02
Share
Must Read
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Best Smart Air Purifiers in 2022
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Load more
Patrick Huston
1 min.
Concerns are ascending over the capacity of Southeast Asia to hold its title as a significant rice
supplier to the world as nations, for example, Indonesia and the Philippines battle to try and
deliver enough for their own necessities. Current yield trends won’t permit the two nations to be
independent in rice, as indicated by a review published in Nature Food journal in March. This
implies they should depend on imports to meet domestic demand for a staple crucial to food
security, political strength and export potential. It’s especially crucial for regions like sub-
Saharan Africa and the Middle East that Southeast Asia keeps on delivering a huge excess of
rice, the researchers added, as it can assist with lessening worldwide cost volatility and give
stable and reasonable rice supplies.
The findings come at a time when worries over food security are growing around the world as
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts one of the world’s major breadbaskets in jeopardy, further
pushing up food prices that had already been on the rise. Still, rice prices have been relatively
subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in top growing regions, keeping the food crisis
from getting worse.
“The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to rice systems in Southeast Asia,” the
researchers said, citing increasing rice demand, yield stagnation and limited room for cropland
expansion. “Concerns about rice shortages are back.”
Prospects for rice self-sufficiency vary by country. Thailand and Vietnam produce more than
they consume, while Indonesia and the Philippines “have struggled consistently” to meet rice
demand from their own production, relying on imports, the researchers said.
News Summary:
 Scientists point to rice crisis fears as world worries about food

 Check all news and articles from the latest Business news updates.
https://www.bollyinside.com/news/scientists-point-to-rice-crisis-fears-as-world-worries-about-food
3 April 2022/
Ellen Phiddian
420.13 ppm: tracking regular climate

news
Five recent research articles on climate change.
 Share
 Tweet
MORE ON:
BUSHFIRE
 417.88 ppm: tracking weekly climate news

 Surprisingly few animals die in wildfires – and that means we can help more in
the aftermath
 Fire Shield: how will we be fighting bushfires in 2025?
 How are we studying firefighter health risks? (Part 2 of 2)
 How are we studying firefighter health risks? (Part 1 of 2)
Welcome to our regular segment on new climate news stories you might have missed.
The title refers to the daily average global concentration of carbon dioxide within the
Earth’s atmosphere in parts per million (ppm). Meaning that for every million air
particles, currently about 420.13 of them are CO2.
We’re keeping all eyes on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who will be
releasing the next part of their sixth assessment report on Monday – but for now, here’s
five smaller climate studies.
Ozone heating the Southern Ocean
Ozone’s a tricky gas, providing key protection at one point in the atmosphere and
damaging heating in another.
A paper in Nature Climate Change states that ozone levels have been responsible for
nearly a third of warming in the Southern Ocean from 1955 to 2000.
“Ozone close to Earth’s surface is harmful to people and the environment, but this
study reveals it also has a big impact on the ocean’s ability to absorb excess heat from
the atmosphere,” says Associate Professor Michaela Hegglin, a researcher in
atmospheric chemistry at the University of Reading, UK.
“These findings are an eye-opener and hammer home the importance of regulating air
pollution to prevent increased ozone levels and global temperatures rising further still.”
Storm surges on the rise
There’s ongoing debate around whether storm surges are increasing with climate
change. US and UK researchers have affirmed the theory, with evidence that storm
surges have been on the rise in Europe since 1960.
They have also found that this rise in storm surges matches mean sea level rise over
the same time period. Their statistical analysis is published in Nature.
“Our results are contrary to the current planning practice of assuming stationary storm
surge extremes, and show that anthropogenic forcing might have already altered the
likelihood of such extremes,” write the authors in their paper.
Methane leaks are worse than their estimates
The actual amount of methane being leaked from oil and gas producers in New Mexico,
US, is much higher than estimates from the country’s Environment Protection Agency,
according to a study in Environmental Science & Technology.
The researchers used airborne sensors to detect methane from individual oil and gas
facilities.
“We surveyed almost every oil and gas asset in the New Mexico Permian for an entire
year to measure and link emissions to specific anonymised facilities,” says co-author
Evan Sherwin, a post-doctoral researcher at Stanford University, US.
“It’s worse than we thought by a long shot.”
But the researchers are optimistic: they found their methane sensing technique was
very effective, and once a leak has been spotted, they point out that addressing it is
usually straightforward.
Relying on Southeast Asia to step up its rice production
The world’s demand for rice is set to increase by 30% by 2050. Some major rice
producers – including China and India – are already at production capacity, but there’s
space for southeast Asian countries to step up their productivity.
But, according to an analysis in Nature Food, this step-up in production is at risk from

climate change – among other related threats.
“Over the past decades, through renewed efforts, countries in southeast Asia were able
to increase rice yields, and the region as a whole has continued to produce a large
amount of rice that exceeded regional demand, allowing a rice surplus to be exported to
other countries,” says lead author Dr Shen Yuan, a postdoctoral research associate at
Huazhong Agricultural University, China.
“The issue is whether the region will be able to retain its title as a major global rice
supplier in the context of increasing global and regional rice demand, yield stagnation
and limited room for cropland expansion.”
AI to predict bushfire cost
A team of US researchers have developed a machine learning tool for predicting

socioeconomic risks from bushfires.
Publishing their findings in Nature Communications, the researchers say that their

model shows that more populations will be exposed to fires over the next century,
increasing socioeconomic risk. They also found that the carbon dioxide emitted by fires
would increase, but at a lower level than current fire output.
They say that, while their machine learning approach has limitations, it can now be used
to predict risk on more local scales as well.
Originally published by Cosmos as 420.13 ppm: tracking regular climate

newshttps://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/ozone-heating-southern-ocean/
NewsBusiness
Updated: 2022-04-02
Scientists point to rice crisis fears

as world worries about food
ByPatrick Huston
2022-04-02
Share
Must Read
Load more
Patrick Huston
1 min.
Concerns are ascending over the capacity of Southeast Asia to hold its title as a
significant rice supplier to the world as nations, for example, Indonesia and the
Philippines battle to try and deliver enough for their own necessities. Current yield
trends won’t permit the two nations to be independent in rice, as indicated by a review
published in Nature Food journal in March. This implies they should depend on imports
to meet domestic demand for a staple crucial to food security, political strength and
export potential. It’s especially crucial for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the
Middle East that Southeast Asia keeps on delivering a huge excess of rice, the
researchers added, as it can assist with lessening worldwide cost volatility and give
The findings come at a time when worries over food security are growing around the
world as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts one of the world’s major breadbaskets in
jeopardy, further pushing up food prices that had already been on the rise. Still, rice
prices have been relatively subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in top
growing regions, keeping the food crisis from getting worse.
“The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to rice systems in Southeast
Asia,” the researchers said, citing increasing rice demand, yield stagnation and limited
room for cropland expansion. “Concerns about rice shortages are back.”
Prospects for rice self-sufficiency vary by country. Thailand and Vietnam produce more
than they consume, while Indonesia and the Philippines “have struggled consistently” to
meet rice demand from their own production, relying on imports, the researchers said.
News Summary:

Cambodia's rice export to China up 3.8 pct in Q1: minister

Last Updated: 2022-04-02 00:15 | Xinhua
Save Print E-mail
Cambodia exported 88,646 tons of milled rice to China in the first quarter of 2022, up 3.8 percent from the
same period last year, Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said on Friday.
China remained the top buyer of Cambodia's rice, followed by the European Union, he said, adding that
the export to China accounted for 52 percent of Cambodia's total rice export during the January-March
period this year.
The southeast Asian nation sold 47,674 tons of rice to the European market during the cited period, the
minister said.
"A total of 170,539 tons of milled rice were exported to 47 countries and regions during the first three
months of this year, up 11 percent year-on-year, earning a gross revenue of 145.8 million U.S. dollars,"
said the minister.
Agriculture is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy.
According to the minister, Cambodia exported 3.43 million tons of agricultural products to 57 countries
and regions during the first quarter of this year, up 11 percent year-on-year, making a total revenue of
1.26 billion U.S. dollars.
Main agricultural products for exports included rice, rubber, cassava, mangoes, bananas, pepper, cashew
nuts, corn, palm oil, and tobacco, among others, the minister said.
http://en.ce.cn/main/latest/202204/02/t20220402_37458341.shtml
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 Wireless nerve stimulator about the size of a rice grain could treat chronic pain, diseases — ScienceDaily
SCIENCE
Wireless Nerve Stimulator About The Size Of A Rice Grain

Could Treat Chronic Pain, Diseases — ScienceDaily
By Addrew Shawn On Apr 1, 2022
0
Share
An implant little bigger than a grain of rice, put gently in place alongside a strategically
placed blood vessel, could replace much bulkier devices that stimulate nerves.
Rice University engineers in collaboration with a host of Texas Medical Center institutions
have published the first proof-of-concept results from a yearslong program to develop tiny,
wireless devices that can treat neurological diseases or block pain. The nerve stimulators
require no batteries and instead draw both their power and programming from a low-
powered magnetic transmitter outside the body.
The MagnetoElectric Bio ImplanT — aka ME-BIT — is placed surgically and an electrode is
fed into a blood vessel toward the nerve targeted for stimulation. Once there, the device can
be powered and securely controlled with a near-field transmitter worn close to the body.
The team led by Jacob Robinson and Kaiyuan Yang of the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative
and the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Sunil Sheth of the University of Texas
Health Science Center’s McGovern Medical School successfully tested its technology on
animal models and found it could charge and communicate with implants several
centimeters below the skin.
The implant detailed in Nature Biomedical Engineering could replace more invasive units
that now treat Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, hearing loss and paralysis.
“Because the devices are so small, we can use blood vessels as a highway system to reach
targets that are difficult to get to with traditional surgery,” Robinson said. “We’re delivering
them using the same catheters you would use for an endovascular procedure, but we would
leave the device outside the vessel and place a guidewire into the bloodstream as the
stimulating electrode, which could be held in place with a stent.”
The ability to power the implants with magnetoelectric materials eliminates the need for
electrical leads through the skin and other tissues. Leads like those often used for
pacemakers can cause inflammation, and sometimes need to be replaced. Battery-powered
implants can also require additional surgery to replace batteries.
ME-BIT’s wearable charger requires no surgery. The researchers showed it could even be
misaligned by several inches and still sufficiently power and communicate with the implant.
The programmable, 0.8-square-millimeter implant incorporates a strip of magnetoelectric

film that converts magnetic energy to electrical power. An on-board capacitor can store
some of that power, and a “system-on-a-chip” microprocessor translates modulations in the
magnetic field into data. The components are held together by a 3D-printed capsule and
further encased in epoxy.
The researchers said the magnetic field generated by the transmitter — about 1 milliTesla —
is easily tolerated by tissues. They estimated the current implant can generate a maximum
of 4 milliwatts of power, sufficient for many neural stimulation applications.
“One of the nice things is that all the nerves in our bodies require oxygen and nutrients, so
that means there’s a blood vessel within a few hundred microns of all the nerves,” Robinson
said. “It’s just a matter of tracing the right blood vessels to reach the targets.
“With a combination of imaging and anatomy, we can be pretty confident about where we
place the electrodes,” he said.
The research suggests endovascular bioelectronics like ME-BIT could lead to a wide range
of low-risk, highly precise therapies. Having electrodes in the bloodstream could also enable
real-time sensing of biochemical, pH and blood-oxygen levels to provide diagnostics or
support other medical devices.
Robinson said the team ultimately hopes to employ multiple implants and communicate
with them simultaneously. “That way we could have a distributed network at multiple sites,”
he said. “Other things we’re looking to add are sensing, recording and back-channel
communications so we can use the implants to both record and stimulate activity as part of
a closed system.”
Graduate students Joshua Chen and Zhanghao Yu of Rice and Peter Kan, a professor and
chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston, are co-lead authors of the paper. Co-authors include graduate students Fatima
Alrashdan and C.S. Edwin Lai, lab services specialist Ben Avants and postdoctoral
researcher Amanda Singer, all of Rice; Jeffrey Hartgerink, a professor of chemistry and of
bioengineering at Rice; UT Medical Branch research scientist Roberto Garcia and research
associate Ariadna Robledo; Michelle Felicella, an associate professor of neuropathology,
surgical pathology and autopsy at UT Medical Branch; and Scott Crosby of Neuromonitoring
Associates.
Robinson is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and of

bioengineering. Yang is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Sheth is an associate professor and director of the Vascular Neurology Program at
McGovern Medical School.
The National Institutes of Health (U18EB029353, R01DE021798) and the National Science
Foundation supported the research.
https://vervetimes.com/wireless-nerve-stimulator-about-the-size-of-a-rice-grain-could-treat-chronic-pain-
diseases-sciencedaily/
Scientists flag rice shortage concerns as
world frets about food
Rice prices have fallen in the past year while wheat and corn surge.
By Bloomberg News 1 Apr 2022 12:15
Image: Bloomberg
Concerns are rising over the ability of Southeast Asia to retain its title as a major rice
supplier to the world as countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines struggle to
even produce enough for their own needs.
Current yield trends will not allow the two countries to be self-sufficient in rice, according
to a study published in Nature Food journal in March. This means they will have to rely
on imports to meet domestic demand for a staple crucial to food security, political
stability and export potential.
It’s particularly crucial for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East that
Southeast Asia continues to produce a large surplus of rice, the researchers added, as
it can help reduce global price volatility and provide stable and affordable rice supplies.
© 2022 Bloomberg
Tweet
https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news-fast-news/scientists-flag-rice-shortage-concerns-as-world-frets-about-food/
Rice grows at a field. (Photographer: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg) Scientists Flag Rice

Shortage Concerns as World Frets About Food Jasmine Ng 02:08 PM IST, 01 Apr 2022
11:04 PM IST, 01 Apr 2022 Save (Bloomberg) -- Concerns are rising over the ability of
Southeast Asia to retain its title as a major rice supplier to the world as countries such as
Indonesia and the Philippines struggle to even produc
Read more at: https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/scientists-flag-rice-

shortage-concerns-as-world-frets-about-food
Copyright © BloombergQuint
Scientists flag rice shortage
concerns as world frets about
food
Current yield trends will not allow the two countries to be self-sufficient in rice,
according to a study published in Nature Food journal in March
Topics
Philippines | Vietnam | Ukraine
Jasmine Ng | Bloomberg Last Updated at April 2, 2022 01:23 IST
Follow us on

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
Concerns are rising over the ability of Southeast Asia to retain its title as a major rice supplier to the
world as countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines struggle to even produce enough for their
own needs.
Current yield trends will not allow the two countries to be self-sufficient in rice, according to a study
published in Nature Food journal in March. This means they will have to rely on imports to meet
domestic demand for a staple crucial to food security, political stability and export potential.
“The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to
rice systems in Southeast Asia,” the researchers said, citing
increasing rice demand, yield stagnation and limited room for
cropland expansion. “Concerns about rice shortages are
back.”
The findings come at a time when worries over food security

are growing around the world as Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine puts one of the world’s major breadbaskets in
jeopardy, further pushing up food prices that had already
been on the rise. Still, rice prices have been relatively
subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in top
Prospects for rice self-sufficiency vary by country. Thailand

and Vietnam produce more than they consume, while
Indonesia and the Philippines “have struggled consistently” to meet rice demand from their own
production, relying on imports, the researchers said.
It’s particularly crucial for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East that Southeast Asia
continues to produce a large surplus of rice, the researchers added, as it can help reduce global
price volatility and provide stable and affordable rice supplies.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/scientists-flag-rice-shortage-concerns-as-world-frets-
about-food-122040200058_1.html
New rice varieties to boost yields in

plan to revive collapsed scheme
COUNTIES
By Olivia Odhiambo | Apr 2nd 2022 | 4 min read
Kisumu County government has pumped Sh300 million to rehabilitate the
collapsed Rice Irrigation schemes. [Kepher Otieno, Standard]
The Ministry of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) have
teamed up in a new strategy to boost rice production in Kisumu and Busia
counties.
According to Dr Mary Mutembei, the Head of Rice Promotion Programme in

the Ministry of Agriculture, Mwea Irrigation Scheme has been producing rice
for a long time and is exhausted in terms of space.
Dr Mutembei said the ministry is currently looking for other areas to plant the
crop, and customising improved production technologies that have been tried
in Mwea.
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“The variety grown in the region is not popular with local market but farmers
are quickly picking up new varieties. We are currently in Ahero,” said Dr
Mutembei.
“We have invited the private sector also to bring in hybrid rice in this region
and the rest of the country. We also have new varieties developed by
KALRO in collaboration with the international rice research institute,” she
added.
She noted that one of the ministry’s main agendas for the region is to
improve market strategy.
“We have seen great investments in the milling sector which was a big
challenge in this region. We did not have good milling facilities and as a
result, we produced very poor quality rice which could not compete with
imported varieties,” she said. “With the private sector coming in to invest in
milling facilities and also to mechanise rice production practices, we can see
a bright future for the right value chain for this region.”
However, John Odawo, a rice farmer at the Ahero Irrigation Scheme said
their main problem is the constant invasion by birds.
Mr Odawo said he is forced to man his rice fields from six o’clock in the
morning to around 7pm in the evening to chase away the birds.
“This is our routine here daily, at least until we do our harvests in the next
two weeks together with my wife. If we do not keep watch for the birds, we
will end up with nothing at the end of the harvest,” he said.
Mr Odawo added that the market is also “a nightmare since we are hardly
making any profits after the harvest. We have to sell at lower prices which is
a big setback to farmers.”
Another farmer, Bernard Odhiambo, who has been farming rice for over 25
years said they produced very little yields when they began farming years
ago.
However, with the introduction of new varieties and different technologies,

there is a great improvement.
Mr Odhiambo said some farmers get up to 60 bags of rice harvest, while in

the past the maximum yield would only be 25 bags per harvest. He said that
besides invasion by birds, farmers also had to contend with a complicated
production process.
“And now as we prepare for the harvest season in the next two weeks, we are
worried about the coming rains.
“These new varieties which are hybrid do not do well in case of heavy rains
with winds and hailstones. If it rains heavily we will be forced to do manual
harvesting and this means low yields,” said Mr Odhiambo.
He explained that one bird consumes rice equivalent to its own weight.
Therefore if a bird weighs 80 grammes, for example, it will consume that
amount in the rice field. Unfortunately, the birds often flock in their
thousands.
Joel Tanui, the Nyanza Regional Coordinator for NIA said the organisation is
in contact with the crop protection unit and the county government to start a
program next month of reducing the bird population in the rice-growing belt.
Mr Tanui said the program is to ensure that during the peak harvest season,
the number of birds is low.
“We scout for brooding sites of the birds and estimate the population then
chemically reduce them in terms of numbers. We have another program with
the county government of Kisumu to reduce the bird population but targeting
the species that is feeding on the rice,” he said.
Mr Tanui explained that for the past two years, a programme with farmers
and research institutions had been implemented to introduce new rice
varieties to farmers.
“For example, a farmer who used to get 25 bags per acre is now getting 45
bags per acre, which is double what they initially got and that has been a very
big boost in rice production in this region,” he said.
Mr Tanui further noted that the irrigation board is in touch with the Kenya
National Trade Corporation (KNTC) to ensure that locally-produced rice gets
market.
“The challenge in the region is with insufficient rice mills that do not give the
best quality needed by the KNTC. The local farmers do not meet the quality
parameters and therefore they do not sufficiently service the market,” he said,
noting that farmers were forced to sell their produce to Ugandan millers.
“The challenge is however being addressed by acquiring a new rice mill in

the partnership that will be based in Ahero so that all the farmers can benefit
and supply to KNTC,” said Mr Tanui.
The officials said only the Mwea Irigation Scheme is currently producing a

high quantity of rice, with Kenya still importing 80 per cent of the
commodity. In 2020, Kenya spent about Sh25 billion to import rice.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/counties/article/2001442059/new-rice-varieties-to-boost-yields-in-plan-to-
revive-collapsed-scheme
APRIL 1, 2022
Report finds massive investment gap for
farm climate change adaptation
by SciDev.Net
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
Small farms and agricultural firms in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia are facing
a billion dollar cash black hole for climate change adaptation, a report says.
Overall there is a gap of US$106 billion in available investment in agricultural small- and
medium-sized enterprises (agri-SME) ranging from farms, to rice millers and agricultural
data firms, according to the report.
"Not only is there a gap for traditional financing needs for agri-SMEs in these regions,
but there is also a big gap in the need to mitigate risk of climate change, with essentially
no money going toward these needs," explains report author Jérôme van Innis, a senior
manager at the South African strategic and financial advisory group ISF Advisors, which
produced the report alongside the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and
Agribusiness (CASA) program, which supported this article and involves CABI, the
parent organization of SciDev.Net.
According to the report, the cash is needed by small firms operating in the agriculture
space to finance day-to-day operations, but also to fund investments and adapt to
changes brought about by global heating.
Outlining priorities for investors and policymakers to support the sector, the report calls
for the urgent mobilization of climate adaptation funding for agri-SMEs. However,
achieving this requires a system of measurements that identify opportunities for
adaptation investment, and government policies that support a pipeline of agri-SME
innovation.
Investment in agriculture is an effective poverty-reduction tool, according to global

charity Oxfam, while also improving food security and economic development.
But without a system that can identify measurable adaptation outcomes, investors will
struggle to support small-scale farmers to grow their businesses, say specialists.
Absence of climate finance
Within this overall picture, the report shows there is an "absence of any major flows of
climate finance for agri-SMEs relative to the known dimensions of the climate crisis".
Globally, only 1.7 percent of global climate finance, or about US$10 billion, is available
to small-scale agriculture, according to the analysis and advisory organization Climate
Policy Initiative. Over 95 percent of that is provided from public sources and earmarked
largely for efforts to curb climate change, rather than adapt to it.
"Certain things need to be done to essentially put in place products and services to help
these SMEs mitigate and adapt to climate change from the highest levels all the way
down to local investors," says Van Innis.
To address this part of the financing gap, the report calls for new, foundational
infrastructure to be established in the next three to five years to increase the financing
available to agri-SMEs for climate-related investments.
Among these is the development of common methods that define climate adaptation
and mitigation in agri-SMEs. Without this, Van Innis says, investors are at risk of
'greenwashing', or attempting to pivot towards climate finance without a clear
understanding of how to do so.
"If we're not linking up to specific metrics, what are we tracking?" he asks. "It's a
tenuous link and tenuous tracking of adaptation and mitigation impacts unless all actors
are talking the same language."
Metrics for adaptation
A set of commonly agreed upon measurements, or metrics, could provide this clarity for
climate adaptation finance. "Metrics provide an understanding of what you'll get from
interventions, which can be used to establish cost effectiveness," says Ken Chomitz,
chief economist at the Global Innovation Fund (GIF), a non-profit investment fund
headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Unlike mitigation, which has tangible elements that can be measured, such as a
reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, adaptation lacks a universal target. Much of this
is due to the context-specific nature of adaptation—what works in one place may not
work elsewhere.
Take, for example, an innovation aimed at increasing maize yields in drought-prone

areas. The project could use drought-resilient seeds, irrigation, or soil management, and
be held against a single metric of maize yield in low rainfall years, the report proposes.
"This could be useful for learning which option is the best to address a particular
problem, but does it boost the smallholder farmer's resilience?" asks Chomitz.
"The metric we propose focuses on what aspects of poverty are resistant to climate
shocks and how good are we at protecting people against shocks which might send
them into a poverty trap."
Progress toward an accepted adaptation metric, however, will take time. "Any standard
setting system will take years to fully realize, but we're moving in the right direction,"
Chomitz says.
Creating a pipeline
While metrics can help attract adaptation investment for agri-SMEs, governments must
also play a part, says Maria Tapia, program lead for climate finance at the Global
Centre on Adaptation.
She recommends creating a stable regulatory environment, as well as tax incentives

and concessional financing, or cheap financing around adaptation innovations.
"Government must make a clear climate commitment with policy that includes an
adaptation plan and investment strategy, and which prioritizes certain … sector
projects," she says. "By first putting its own financing into that plan, and then calling for
international cooperation to co-finance, governments can attract the private sector."
In this way, governments also create a pipeline of agri-SME innovations that can be
aggregated—bundled into a single project—and scaled. "Many of these projects are too
small to attract big investors. With national climate funds, they can be repackaged and
sold to private investors in a way that makes them more attractive," she says.
This collaborative view of agri-SME financing is one Van Innis hopes the report can
generate among the different audiences of investors.
"Let's be more innovative," he says. "Let's develop a common language and pipeline of
investment opportunities and make sure these track back to specific performance
indicators so we can say 'yes, our funding is helping SMEs that are achieving impact to
adapt and mitigate to climate change.'"
Explore further
New UN report: Step up climate change adaptation efforts, or face huge disruption
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-massive-investment-gap-farm-climate.html
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Home / Cities / Chandigarh News / CAG report: ‘Haryana procurement agency favoured millers’
CHANDIGARH NEWS
CAG report: ‘Haryana procurement agency favoured millers’

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has blamed the Haryana Agro-Industries
Corporation (HAIC) for not conducting regular physical verification of paddy stocks, a violation of
state government guidelines, resulting in misappropriation of paddy by the miller
It is
recommended that the HAIC fix responsibility for violation of the government guidelines, the
audit said. (HT File)
Published on Apr 03, 2022 12:38 AM IST
ByHT Correspondent, Chandigarh
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has blamed the Haryana Agro-Industries
Corporation (HAIC) for not conducting regular physical verification of paddy stocks, a
violation of state government guidelines, resulting in misappropriation of paddy by the
miller.
The auditors in their report said the HAIC favoured the miller by not encashing cheques
and delaying legal actions to recover its dues which resulted in loss of ₹6.64 crore.
Though the corporation was required to carry out 16 physical verifications between
November 2017 to June 2018, it did the first physical verification only on May 25, 2018,
when shortage of 1,687 metric tonne custom milled rice (CMR) was found, the audit
observed.
The HAIC issued notice to miller on May 4, 2019, after one year to supply the balance
CMR and return of bardana and other stocks lying with the miller intimating the recovery
of ₹6.02 crore along with interest. Had the company conducted physical verification of
stocks fortnightly, it could have come to know the status regarding maintenance of the
ratio for delivery of CMR and its own milling of rice.
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Further, it could have shifted the un-milled paddy to the other millers as per milling
guidelines. The signed cheques of ₹2 crore obtained from the miller were not presented
to the bank for recovery of its dues till October 2020.
However, the HAIC encashed in December 2019 a fixed deposit receipt of ₹20 lakh
after lapse of more than 17 months from the notice of shortage. The HAIC, in October
2019 initiated arbitration proceedings against the miller though cases of fraud, theft or
misappropriation were to be dealt through appropriate legal proceedings as per the
milling guidelines.
The state government, in its reply, said physical verification could not be done due to
shortage of staff. Further, a settlement scheme for all the defaulting rice millers has
been introduced in December 2020 for recovery of dues. During exit conference, the
HAIC said the matter regarding appointment of arbitrator was pending in the high court
and inquiry for lapses by its officials was at final stage. It said efforts for recovery of
dues will be made under the settlement scheme.
The auditors, however, said the reply was not acceptable as the HAIC has failed to
comply with government guidelines which resulted in misappropriation of paddy by the
millers and now the government has brought in a settlement scheme for all the
defaulting rice millers to recover some amount. It is recommended that the HAIC fix
responsibility for violation of the government guidelines, the audit said.
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/cag-report-haryana-procurement-agency-
As Central, state
favoured-millers-101648926496066.html
governments fight, millers cheat paddy

farmers in TS
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | L VENKAT RAM REDDY
PublishedApr 2, 2022, 12:28 am IST
UpdatedApr 2, 2022, 3:20 pm IST
While Centre, state do not give clarity on procurement, farmers are forced to sell paddy for
lesser prices
With no clarity on paddy procurement by the Centre and state government, farmers
are forced to sell paddy to millers for a loss of up to Rs 500 per quintal.
(Representational Photo:PTI)
HYDERABAD: While the Centre and the state governments are engaged in a war of
words over paddy procurement during rabi season without giving any clarity whether
they will procure or not, rice millers in the state allegedly started exploiting the
situation to their advantage.
It is alleged that millers are forming syndicates to procure paddy from farmers for a
price much lower than MSP (minimum support price). With no clarity on paddy
procurement by the Centre and state government, farmers are forced to sell paddy
to millers for a loss of up to Rs 500 per quintal.

Nearly 70 lakh tonnes of paddy is ready for procurement in rabi. Since there is a
scope for unseasonal rains and hailstorms during rabi in summer season as was
witnessed several times earlier which resulted in heavy loss off paddy in agriculture
fields and market yards, anxious farmers are rushing to rice millers to sell their
stocks. They are worried that they would suffer huge losses in the event of
unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
Millers are said to be taking advantage of this season and fixing rates ranging from
Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,600 per quintal against MSP of Rs 1,940.

Farmers say before the 'paddy war' escalated between the Centre and the state
government, millers used to pay higher price for superfine rice varieties which was
more than MSP due to good demand from buyers in the market. But, the millers
have now slashed the price of even superfine varieties.
"Superfine rice varieties such as Chintla and HMT used to fetch Rs 2,100 to Rs
2,200 per quintal but millers now offer just Rs 1,800 to Rs 1,900 per quintal. This
price remains the same in all the districts. This was not the case earlier. There was
price variation in districts and we had the opportunity to sell our stocks wherever the
price was high," said Chinna Ramulu, a farmer from Miryalaguda.

There are a total of 2,500 rice mills in Telangana, of which 1,500 are parboiled rice
mills and 1,000 raw rice mills. Majority of the mills are located in undivided
Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Warangal districts.
All millers reportedly reached an understanding by conducting meetings among
themselves and arrived at a common price for which every miller should stick,
without giving any scope for competition and price escalation among themselves.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/020422/millers-cash-in-on-tussle-over-paddy-
purchase.html
Japanese researchers find use for
discarded fish, mandarin peels
Seasoning created by Kindai University students to hit stores by spring 2023
The rice seasoning created by a team of Kindai University researchers is made from red sea bream juveniles and
mandarin peels that would otherwise be thrown away.
YUJI MATSUMOTO, Nikkei staff writerApril 3, 2022 17:00 JST
OSAKA -- A research team at Kindai University's Faculty of Agriculture has

developed a furikake rice seasoning made from unused red sea bream
juveniles and mandarin orange peels that would otherwise be thrown away.
The powder, which is rich in calcium and iron, is meant to reduce food waste
by putting the unused ingredients to good use, contributing to the
achievement of the U.N.'s sustainable development goals, the researchers said.
A team of 12 students, led by Masaki Morishima, a Department of Food

Science and Nutrition lecturer at the university, to create the seasoning. The
students took advantage of a university grant for COVID-19
countermeasures to develop the product and design the packaging.
Production is handled by Tanaka Foods, a furikake maker based in the

western Japanese city of Hiroshima. The company is known for its Ryoko No
Tomo brand furikake.
The Kindai University seasoning is made from red sea bream juveniles raised
at a farm operated by the university's Aquaculture Research Institute. The fish
that go into the seasoning do not meet the institute's standards. The other
main ingredient is mandarin peels taken from the university's farm. Most of
the nonstandard red sea bream juveniles, which total around 210,000 fish
annually, are currently discarded. Finding a use for these animals has been an
issue for the university.
For the researchers, a key challenge was finding an effective way to process the
fish. They tried various methods -- steaming or pressure-cooking the fish, then
drying them. But they eventually settled on a method of heat-drying the whole
fish, then pulverizing them. The resulting powder is rich in calcium and iron.
The mandarin peels are also nutritious, containing high levels of polyphenols
-- antioxidants said to help reverse cell damage.
"We succeeded in giving [the seasoning] a nice, delicate aroma," Morishima

said. "It has a taste that can please anyone, from children to the elderly."
Samples of the furikake were taste-tested at canteens at the university's

campus in the city of Nara and Kindai University Kindergarten. Responses
have been generally positive, according to the researchers.
"The combination of red sea bream and mandarin is superb," one respondent
said, according to the researchers. They aim to begin selling the product by the
spring of 2023.
READ NEXT
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Japanese rice overcomes price barrier to log record

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https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Food-Beverage/Japanese-researchers-find-use-for-discarded-fish-mandarin-
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15
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 N AT IO NA L
 K ER AL A
KERALA
KTU receives seed funding

Staff ReporterTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 02, 2022 23:18 IST
UPDATED: APRIL 02, 2022 23:18 IST
Industries Minister hands over first installment
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve handed over the first installment of the seed funding for
a project facilitated by APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) on Friday.
Vice Chancellor M.S. Rajasree received the cheque from the Minister at his chamber.
The project was undertaken by Kalady Rice Millers Consortium in collaboration with
various engineering colleges under the university by utilising the technical
competencies of faculty and students. Kalady Rice Millers Consortium Pvt. Ltd.
(KRMC) is a group of 36 rice mill owners in and around Kalady that has been formed
to function as a common facilitation centre for the rice milling industry.
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The goal of the project is to use rice husk ash, a bio-waste from the rice milling
industry, to manufacture high-quality cement, bricks and silica.
Adi Shankara Institute of Technology and Engineering, Kalady; Christ Engineering

College, Iringalakuda; and Providence College, Chengannur, were selected for the
funding in the first phase of the project.
Pro-Vice Chancellor S. Ayoob, Dean (Research) Shalij P.R., and Director of

Industries and Commerce Department S. Harikishore were among those present on the
occasion.
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4YsbMSsaqeIJ:https://www.thehindu.com/news/
national/kerala/ktu-receives-seed-funding/article65285307.ece/amp/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk
Scientists point to rice crisis fears

as world worries about food
ByPatrick Huston
2022-04-02
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Patrick Huston
1 min.
Concerns are ascending over the capacity of Southeast Asia to hold its title as a
significant rice supplier to the world as nations, for example, Indonesia and the
Philippines battle to try and deliver enough for their own necessities. Current yield
trends won’t permit the two nations to be independent in rice, as indicated by a review
published in Nature Food journal in March. This implies they should depend on imports
to meet domestic demand for a staple crucial to food security, political strength and
export potential. It’s especially crucial for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the
Middle East that Southeast Asia keeps on delivering a huge excess of rice, the
researchers added, as it can assist with lessening worldwide cost volatility and give
News Summary:

Odisha Extends Additional Rice Distribution

Under Food Security Scheme
ODISHA LATESTTOP
Sambad English Bureau Published On : Apr 1, 2022 Updated On : Apr 1, 2022

Share
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government has extended distribution of additional Rs

5 kg rice under State Food Security Scheme for another six months.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on special occasion of Utkala Dibasa directed

to extend distribution of additional r kg rice per month free of cost to SFSS
beneficiaries for next six months.
Following the announcement, each beneficiary of the State Food Security

Scheme will get an additional 5 kg rice from the month of April 2022 to
September 2022. As many as 8.09 lakh beneficiaries in the State will get the
benefits, a release from CMO stated today.
To meet this, total 24,270 tonnes of rice will be supplied with an expenditure
of Rs 91.70 crore from the state exchequer.
This will facilitate beneficiaries enrolled in the State Food Security Scheme to
remain at par with beneficiaries under National Food Security Act.
The benefit of 5 KG free Rice was earlier extended for the beneficiaries of
SFSS from December 2021 to March 2022.
https://sambadenglish.com/odisha-extends-additional-rice-distribution-under-food-security-scheme/
Weekly SPI inches up by 0.53%

By
News Desk
-
April 1, 2022
April 01, 2022 (MLN): The weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the combined
consumption group witnessed an increase of 0.53% for the week ended on March 31, 2022, the
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Friday.
As per the PBS inflation report, this surge was mainly on account of an increase in the price of
essential food items.
The combined index clocked in at 171.82 compared to 170.92 on March 24, 2022.
Similarly, the year-on-year trend observed a surge of 16.79% when the index was recorded at
147.12 a year ago, on April 01, 2021.
Out of the 51 monitored items, the average price of 24 items registered an increase in the week
that include Tomatoes (41.01%), Onions (22.74%), Bananas (4.75%), Cooking Oil 5 litre
(2.07%), Rice IRRI-6/9 (1.72%) and Pulse Masoor (1.11%).
Meanwhile, 07 commodities witnessed a decline in prices on a WoW basis, including Chicken

(8.93%), Eggs (2.11%), Garlic (1.49%), Gur (1.09%), LPG (0.58%), Sugar (0.20%) and Rice
Basmati Broken (0.18%).
The weekly SPI percentage change by income groups showed that SPI jumped across all
quantiles, ranging between 0.38% and 0.91%.
The lowest income group saw a weekly rise of 0.91% while the highest income group recorded
an upsurge of 0.38%.
On a yearly basis, analysis of SPI change across different income segments showed that SPI
increased across all quantiles ranging between 14.61% and 17.56%.
Yearly SPI for the lowest income group increased by 14.61% while the highest income group
recorded an increase of 17.56%.
The average price of sona urea stood at Rs2,011 per 50 kg bag which is around 1.90% higher
than last week’s price and 14.83% higher when compared to last year.
Going by the PBS report, the average cement price inched up by 0.38% WoW to Rs865 per 50
kg bag, while increasing by 41.30% YoY.
Copyright Mettis Link News
Posted on: 2022-04-01T18:31:05+05:00
https://mettisglobal.news/weekly-spi-inches-up-by-0-53/
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 Imran Khan Latest News: My life is in danger: Pakistan PM Imran Khan says ahead of no-confidence motion
BUSINESS
Imran Khan Latest News: My Life Is In Danger: Pakistan

PM Imran Khan Says Ahead Of No-Confidence Motion
By Lawrence Booth On Apr 1, 2022
0
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Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that he has credible information that his life is in
danger but asserted that he is not afraid and will continue his fight for an independent and
democratic Pakistan.
In an interview with ARY News ahead of Sunday’s no-confidence motion in the National
Assembly against him, Khan said the “establishment” (the powerful military) gave him three
options – no-confidence vote, early elections or resignation as the Prime Minister.
He said not only his life was in danger but the Opposition, which is playing in foreign hands,
will also resort to his character assassination.
“Let me inform my nation that my life is at risk too, they have also planned for my character
assassination. Not only myself but my wife too,” the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician
said.
Answering a question about what options the Opposition gave him, Khan said that he does
not think he should talk to people like Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif.
“If we survive (the no-confidence vote), we cannot of course work with these turncoats (who
left PTI to join the Opposition), early elections are the best option, I will urge my nation to
give me a simple majority so that I won’t have to do compromises,” he said.
Terming the Opposition’s no-confidence motion a conspiracy, Khan said he knew about it
since August last year and he had reports that some Opposition leaders were visiting
embassies.
“People like Husain Haqqani were meeting Nawaz Sharif in London,” he said.
Khan reiterated what he said in a televised address to the nation on March 31 that a foreign
country not only expressed disapproval over his premiership but also demanded that he be
ousted through a no-confidence vote so that Pakistan be “forgiven”.
He said that the foreign country objected to his independent foreign policy, ARY News
reported.
Khan said the “threat memo” did not only demand a regime change but clearly mentioned
that he should be removed as the prime minister.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday claimed that a plot to
assassinate Prime Minister Khan has been reported by the country’s security agencies,
ahead of Sunday’s no-trust motion against the premier.
Khan’s security has been beefed up as per the government’s decision after these reports,
the Dawn newspaper quoted Chaudhry as saying.
His statement came a week after similar claims were made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) leader Faisal Vawda who had said that a conspiracy was being hatched to
assassinate Khan over his refusal to “sell the country”.
Vawda had made the remarks on ARY News show over a letter Prime Minister Khan had
brandished at the PTI’s March 27 show of strength here, claiming that it contained
“evidence” of a “foreign conspiracy” to topple his government.
Vawda said that there was a threat to Khan’s life.
He, however, did not reveal if the purported conspiracy to assassinate the premier was
mentioned in the letter.
Vawda also said that Khan was told multiple times that bulletproof glass needed to be
installed before his dais at the March 27 rally but he refused.
Information Minister Chaudhry’s claims also come a day after Khan, during his address to
the nation, vowed to foil “an international conspiracy” hatched against his government by
the Opposition leaders and their alleged handlers ahead of the no-confidence vote in the
National Assembly.
In a live address to the nation, 69-year-old Khan discussed a ‘threat letter’ and termed it as
part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an
independent foreign policy. He named the US as the country behind the threat letter in what
appeared to be a slip of tongue.
Prime Minister Khan linked the letter with the no-confidence motion against him by the
Opposition in the National Assembly. The National Assembly is scheduled to vote on the
no-trust motion on Sunday.
Khan’s address came at a critical juncture of his political career when he lost majority after
defection from his PTI party. Two of his allied parties also withdrew their support and joined
the ranks of the Opposition.
The US has asserted that it did not send any letter to Pakistan on the current political
situation in the country as it sought to refute allegations of America’s involvement in the no-
confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government.
Khan met President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on February 24, the day the Russian leader
ordered a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Khan also became the first Pakistani
premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif travelled to Moscow in
1999.
https://vervetimes.com/imran-khan-latest-news-my-life-is-in-danger-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-says-ahead-of-no-
confidence-motion/
India starts supplying rice to Sri

Lanka in first major food aid
The shipments could help Colombo bring down rice prices, which have doubled in a year
Reuters
By Reuters
Published: Sat 2 Apr 2022, 12:08 PM
Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka in the
first major food aid since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, two officials told
Reuters on Saturday.
The Indian Ocean island nation of 22 million people is struggling to pay for essential imports
after a 70 per cent drop in foreign exchange reserves in two years led to a currency devaluation
and efforts to seek help from global lenders.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/asia/india-starts-supplying-rice-to-sri-lanka-in-first-major-food-aid
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https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/apr/02/dried-bean-recipes-butter-beans-harissa-preserved-lemon-
rajma-saffron-rice-crisp-onions-ravinder-bhogal
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/apr/02/dried-bean-recipes-butter-beans-harissa-preserved-lemon-
rajma-saffron-rice-crisp-onions-ravinder-bhogal
ICAR-IARI Celebrates its Foundation Day

on 1 April
Dr. T. Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & DG (ICAR), during his Foundation Day Lecture,
emphasized that every IARIian should take pride in being a part of the Institute and inculcate a
sense of belongingness and responsibility towards the institution and the nation on this day.
Shivam Dwivedi Updated 2 April, 2022 9:19 AM IST Published on 2 April, 2022 9:15 AM IST
Foundation Day Celebration at ICAR-IARI
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute celebrated its 117th Foundation Day

on April 1, 2022. Dr. T. Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & DG (ICAR) was the Chief
Guest of the function and Dr. T. R. Sharma, DDG (Crop Science) was the Guest of
Honour. The occasion was presided over by Padma Bhushan Professor R B Singh.
Dr. H S Gupta, Former DG- BISA and Former Director IARI, Dr. A K Singh,
Director, ICAR-IARI, Dr. Rashmi Aggarwal, Dean & Joint Director (Education)
and Dr. B. S. Tomar, Joint Director (Extension) were also present on stage.
Among other guests, Dr. K V Prabhu (Chairman, PPVFRA), Dr. A. K. Singh, DDG
(AE), Dr. J K Jena, DDG (Fisheries Science), Dr. S. K. Malhotra, Director, ICAR-
DKMA and Dr. D. K. Yadava, ADG (Seed), ICAR were present and two former
Directors of IARI, Dr. Panjab Singh, and Dr. S A Patil, joined the function in
virtual mode.
Dr. T. Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & DG (ICAR), during his Foundation Day
Lecture, emphasized that every IARIian should take pride in being a part of the
Institute and inculcate a sense of belongingness and responsibility towards the
institution and the nation on this day.
Dr. Mohapatra mentioned that till now, we are focusing on the production aspect
of a sustainable food system, but we have to improve R&D in post-production
aspects like processing, value addition, fair price and marketing. IARI should
take a leading role in addressing research and development in all these aspects of
sustainable food production systems.
IARI can work toward nature positive agriculture and horticulture production
system to reduce the chemical footprint in our food. He congratulated everyone
and wished the Institute all the best for the future. Dr. R B Singh said that for
society's benefit, we should do science along with social responsibility.
RELATED LINKS
ICAR develops Frozen Coconut Delicacy

Frozen Coconut Delicacy is the ice cream made of coconut milk and coconut sugar including
the tender coconut water and…

Everyone at IARI should take inspiration from past achievements and work
tirelessly to uphold the glory of the Institute. Once again, he congratulated the
Institute for its remarkable achievement and wished all the very best for its
achievement.
On this occasion, Dr. T R Sharma congratulated the Institute for its achievement.
He mentioned that he would like to see IARI stand alongside the top global
university. Dr. H S Gupta commended IARI on feeding the country and earning
foreign exchange.
He said that we should get satisfaction from our work and orient our work for the
benefit of the farmers because, as a result of our research, farmers and ordinary
people of the country are directly benefiting. He mentioned that we need to
strengthen horticulture to raise farmers' income. He appreciated the
Director IARI for restoring the importance of the farmer in agricultural research
and development.
Dr. A K Singh, Director, ICAR-IARI, welcomed all the dignitaries, scientific,

technical officers, staff members, and guests. He appreciated the effort of all the
former Directors in creating the various infrastructure and scientific facilities by
them during their tenure. The Director expressed condolences to the 12
employees who lost their lives during the COVID pandemic.
The Director briefed about the various achievements of the Institute during the
last year. ICAR-IARI won the Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award
during the year. The Institute has released 35 new varieties of different crops
including 2 herbicide-resistant Basmati rice varieties. The successful field trial of
Pusa Decomposer on 5 lakh acres area also yielded positive results. The Institute
signed MoU with Grow Indigo to promote regenerative farming practices and
online seed distribution companies like eFarm and Agrijunction. During the year
the Discovery Center was established under the NAHEP project.
On this occasion, Padma Shree was conferred to farmer, Sethpal Singh shared his
experience and journey of bringing crop diversification in agriculture for the
sustainable income of smallholder farmers. He shared his endeavour to grow
cereals, pulses, cash crops, and vegetables, most notably chestnut production in
waterlogged field conditions. Another farmer, Satish Chandra Ji, appreciated the
Institute's effort to develop SC/ST community farmers.
IARI gave the seed production licensing rights of a rice variety to mahyco and
Nuziveedu Seeds. Seven, scientific publications namely; Poshan III, Poshan IV,
Desert locust life cycle and management, Sabjifasal calendar, and Technical
bulletin on smart urban farming technology were released. Seven dedicated
workers were awarded as best workers, six progressive farmers were facilitated.
During the week-long celebration of foundation day, three competitions namely;

painting, quiz, and speech were organized in which 140 students from 12 schools
participated. The 33 winners of various competitions were awarded today. The
program ended with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Rashmi Aggarwal (Dean and
Joint Director- Education).
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Knee-Deep in Debt, Food Shortages,

Depleting Foreign Reserves: How Did
Sri Lanka Get Here?
A foreign exchange crunch in Sri Lanka has led to a shortage of
essential goods and power cuts that last up to 13 hours a day.
People stand in a long queue to buy kerosene oil for kerosene cookers amid a shortage of domestic gas due to
country's economic crisis, at a fuel station in Colombo, Sri Lanka March 21, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte
The Wire Staff

Listen to this article:
SOUTH ASIA
01/APR/2022
New Delhi: Sri Lanka is grappling with the worst economic crisis in

decades, which has spiked the prices of essential commodities like rice,
milk powder, cooking gas and fuel.
For instance, one kilogram of basmati rice currently costs between Rs 300-
800 as compared to around Rs 90-200 in India. While sugar costs around
Rs 290, 400 grams of milk powder is selling for Rs 790. A cup of milk tea
costs Rs 100 as compared to Rs 25 in October 2021.
News reports said that school exams were cancelled because Sri Lanka ran
out of paper.
People have taken to the streets demanding Sri Lankan President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa’s resignation for failing to address the worst economic crisis in
the island nation.
With skyrocketing prices of essential goods, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees are
crossing the sea and arriving in Tamil Nadu. According to news reports, an
estimated 2,000 to 4,000 refugees may land in the southern state of India.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin on Friday, April 1 met Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Sri Lanka economic crisis, offering
to extend support. Stalin is on a three-day visit to the national capital.
According to news reports, a foreign exchange crunch in Sri Lanka has led
to a shortage of essential goods and power cuts that last up to 13 hours a
day. Due to power cuts, Sri Lanka’s stock market on Friday halted
trading for 30 minutes – the third suspension in two days.
But how did Sri Lanka get here?
The Wire’s Sumedha Pal had spoken to R. Ramakumar, professor at the

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, who explained the roots of the Sri Lankan
economic crisis.
Sri Lanka has two major sources of income – exports and tourism.
While exports contribute around 23% of the country’s GDP, the tourism
sector contributes around 12% of the GDP.
Sri Lanka is majorly dependent on the export of non-food items like rubber,
tea, garments, coconut, spices etc. The exports of these commodities
suffered as global commodity prices fell over the past decade, Ramakumar
wrote in a Twitter thread.
The country imports essential items such as rice, wheat, wheat flour, pulses,
sugar and medicines. It imports 100% of its petroleum needs too. And that
was affected due to a decline in the country’s foreign reserves.
Simply put, Sri Lanka doesn’t have enough dollars to buy essential import
items from other countries.
Watch | How Worrying Is Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis?
How did Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves deplete?
According to Ramakumar, Sri Lanka’s economic growth rate has been

steadily declining since 2012. In the absence of export growth, the
country’s current account deficit [exports – imports] widened.
A decline in exports leads to less foreign currency into the country.

However, this was not the only reason why foreign reserves started to
deplete.
The Easter bomb blasts of 2019, which killed about 253 people, took a
severe hit on the flow of tourists in the country. This led to major strains on
the foreign exchange reserves.
As per DW, there was a 70% drop in tourists after the attacks. However,
towards the end of the year, it started to revive slowly.
But the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 made the situation worse.
Sri Lanka was faced with a triple whammy due to the pandemic: tourist
inflows and tourism revenues fell further; exports of tea and rubber
declined due to lower demand; and remittances, another booster to the
foreign exchange reserves, also fell as Lankans across the globe lost jobs.
Therefore, the country faced an acute shortage of foreign currency or a

balance of payment crisis.
But there’s more…
Due to the pandemic, the government raised budget expenditures and cut
taxes, lowering the country’s revenue. Therefore, fiscal deficit exceeded
10% in 2020 and 2021.
Meanwhile, the government on April 29, 2021 decided to ban the import of
chemical fertilisers and any other agrochemicals to make the Indian Ocean
nation the first in the world to practice “organic-only” agriculture. The
move was aimed at reducing pressure on forex reserves.
However, this decision severely impacted tea, rubber and other non-food
item exports, which accounted for a bulk of dollar earnings.
As per a report in Al-Jazeera, tea is Sri Lanka’s single biggest export,

bringing in more than $1.25 billion a year, making up almost 10% of the
country’s export income.
The government’s move further led to a sharp rise in prices of daily food
items. Sugar, rice and onions have soared over twice, with sugar
even touching record Rs 200/kg; kerosene oil and cooking gas prices are
surging.
Ramakumar in his blog post has explained how the decision to ban

chemical fertilisers was taken under the pressure from President
Rajapaksa’s group of advisors that included a medical doctor,
who reportedly convinced him that the use of chemicals in agriculture was
leading to the spread of chronic kidney disease. Sri Lankan scientists have
in fact argued that there are no links between the use of chemicals as farm
inputs and kidney disease.
The Rajapaksa government later partially lifted off the ban; however, the
damage was already done.
Knee-deep in debt
Sri Lanka is already knee-deep in debt, which is now running at around $51
billion. A bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seems to be
the only option in such cases. However, IMF loans come with their own
stringent terms and conditions.
For instance, as Finshots explained in its newsletter, “They’ll probably ask

the government to severely cut their spending programme, or likely
recommend privatising loss-making public sector companies etc.”
And, these moves will likely be extremely unpopular in a country that’s

already struggling to make ends meet.
Sri Lanka – which must pay about $4 billion in debt this year – will also
seek World Bank assistance after it enters into an IMF programme, Reuters
reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
https://thewire.in/south-asia/knee-deep-in-debt-food-shortages-depleting-foreign-reserves-how-did-sri-lanka-
get-here
Have you been

buying the wrong
basmati rice all
along?
White, translucent or pale brown – find out which is the best
Published: March 25, 2022 07:00By Helga Jensen-Forde | Reach by Gulf News

Sponsored by
Image
Credit: Supplied
A staple in many food larders, basmati rice can be easily located on

supermarket shelves. But do you know that there are multiple varieties of
basmati rice and that each has its own pluses and minuses?
To know how we end up with so many varieties – and what makes a basmati
grain perfect – we need to understand their farm-to-plate journey. This allows
us to choose the right basmati next time we are out shopping.
Firstly, like many fine foods, rice is all about ageing. Aged rice will be more
aromatic, tasty and will cook well. The age of rice is often found on the pack,
mentioned as the crop year. Tilda, the first brand to introduce basmati rice to
the modern retail world 50 years ago, recommends that you aim for two-year-
old rice. Needless to say, it follows the same guideline when it comes to its
products.
Three main features

Basmati is known for its long length, aroma and flavour. These three
characteristics are essential for rice to qualify as basmati. However, the
question is do all basmati rice in the market have these qualities. And why
would any basmati lack any of these?
The truth is that since rice is all about ageing, it can be a nemesis for a lot of
brands. Ageing is a time-consuming and expensive process – something that
brands like Tilda never compromise on. The only way to reduce time to market
is by artificially ageing the rice and taking it through a partial boiling process,
resulting in what is referred to as sella basmati. Despite being a genuine
basmati grain, it loses its taste and aroma during the process. An easy way to
identify parboiled rice is through its translucent/brownish colour. Less aged
and sold at a cheaper price, this rice lacks all the goodness of basmati.
Another method to make rice ready for sale earlier than it should be is
steaming, which presents pale, brown-coloured basmati - do not confuse this
with brown basmati, which is a different state of the grain. Steamed basmati is
hard as a result of light or heavy steaming. This has its pros and cons, but the
biggest disadvantage is that it loses its taste profile and you end up eating
something that will only showcase the taste of your spices.
Remember, the whiter the colour of the grain, the more aromatic and tastier
your basmati would be. It is easy to chew and also lighter on your stomach.
The sella/steamed basmati is always harder to chew and will undoubtedly feel
heavier on stomach. That’s why you should have a look at the grains before
you buy. Always opt for the whitest basmati when you cook rice as the main
dish with curries – where you need rice to lend all the flavour and aroma.
Image Credit: Supplied
For one-pot dishes such as biryani and kabsa, the Arab mixed rice dish, you
can choose white basmati or opt for steamed variants as the emphasis is on the
appearance of the rice and the taste depends more on the spices being used.
Sella is least recommended for home cooking as it is harder to cook and
doesn’t offer the best in terms of flavour.
HOW TO COOK BASMATI RICE
Tilda recommends the following to ensure the best cooking results.
- Prepare by measuring the correct quantity. Tilda suggests that 60g of raw
rice is usually enough per person.
- Once you measure the rice, wash it three to four times before cooking.
- To cook, place one cup of rice with two cups of boiling water and cook on
medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Drain the water and let it stand (or simmer)
for three to four minutes more. Lightly fork through the grains and serve.
In today’s busy world, the way basmati rice is consumed is also changing.
Brands like Tilda have introduced Ready-to-heat basmati rice, which is an
innovation that allows consumers to buy 90 per cent cooked rice with no
preservatives or artificial additives and a shelf life of 18 months. These
vacuum-sealed packs can be heated up in a microwave oven or hot pan for two
minutes without adding any water. Packs come in different flavourful varieties
as well such as Tilda’s coconut or pilau basmati, which can be consumed as a
meal on their own.
Whichever flavour or type you choose, basmati rice is a staple food consumed
worldwide by many of us multiple times a week, if not daily. So, it’s essential
not to compromise on the quality of your rice and opt for the best. Buy Tilda’s
White Basmati rice to ensure a pure and original basmati experience.
And, don’t forget basmati rice has many health benefits. Rich in fibre and
vitamins and low in fat, it has a low glycaemic index as well. So next time you
stop at the supermarket, make sure to stock up on Tilda basmati rice.
Image Credit: Supplied
TRUE OR FALSE?
Tilda busts some myths about basmati rice.
Soaking basmati rice for 30 minutes before cooking allows for a shorter
cooking time.
False: Soaking marginally improves cooking time, but you lose time even
before you start. If you opt for white basmati rice from Tilda, you may not
need to soak the rice at all - you can start right after washing it 2-3 times.
The longer the grain of rice, the better it is.
False: All basmati grains are long. The extra-long grain is just millimetres
longer than the traditional basmati.
Rice never expires.
True. Rice doesn’t expire, but you should check the rice. This way, you can
figure out if the grains are broken or intact.
All basmati rice is the same.

https://gulfnews.com/uae/have-you-been-buying-the-wrong-basmati-rice-all-along-1.1648134711270
BRRI innovations to pave way for local agro
machine industry
Md Mizanur Rahman from Derai upazila of Sunamganj bought an imported
combined harvester about three years ago for the purpose of harvesting paddy in
the Haor area. Even after receiving a 50% subsidy from the government on the
purchase price, he had to pay Tk14.5 lakh to buy the machine.
But, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has recently developed a
combined harvester more suitable for use in local croplands, and, if manufactured
commercially, its production price will be in the range of Tk12 lakh to Tk13 lakh
only.
The combined harvester, developed by the BRRI, is also capable of harvesting paddy
on 3-4 bighas of land per hour. The harvesting loss of this device is below 1%.
Agro machinery manufacturers and importers said heavy machinery imported from
abroad usually faces problems during movement through small roads in remote areas
of the country. Their use is also difficult due to the small size of croplands. It is also
hard to repair them in case of any damage as there are not enough workshops.
BRRI scientists are inventing technologies to avoid such problems.
Janata Engineering, an agro-machinery manufacturer, has already manufactured the

combined harvester experimentally using BRRI's technology, and the device has
shown good results in the trial run.
The machine is capable of cutting paddy in small-sized agricultural plots and can ply
narrow rural roads.
Yet, BRRI wants to take some more time to allow its commercial production as it
wants to make the technology absolutely flawless through further research.
Officials concerned said BRRI scientists have already invented technologies for
making agricultural implements for various purposes from the sowing of seeds to the
threshing of crops.
These technologies will be provided for free to local private agricultural machinery
manufacturers who will produce and market the equipment, they said, adding through
this, a process will start to build a thriving heavy agricultural implements industry
locally.
Entrepreneurs, however, have told The Business Standard that big investments are
needed for manufacturing these types of machinery locally for which they would need
government support including easy bank loans, and VAT waiver in importing
machine parts.
Currently, they are working on nine devices including rice transplanter, power
weeder, reaper binder, manual rice transplanter, transplanter cum fertiliser applier,
compact rice mill, and solar light trap. Some of these devices are going through lab
trials and some are going through an updating process after field trials.
The BRRI is working with 10 companies to manufacture these machinery
commercially. But officials said the technologies would be open for everyone for
manufacturing under the supervision of the BRRI.
AKM Saiful Islam, director of the machinery research project and chief scientific
officer of BRRI, told TBS, "Agro equipment made using the technologies invented by
the BRRI would be cheaper than imported ones. But, big investments would be
needed to start commercial production of these machines because for this you have to
create a separate production line."
BRRI scientists have also completed research on a seed sower machine that can sow
7,000 to 7,3000 seeds on trays per hour. The estimated price of the device would be
Tk7,000 to Tk8,000.
BRRI sources said the fabrication of the first version of the automatic rice transplanter
has been done with the help of R K Metal. Currently, it is going through a field trial.
The progress in manufacturing manual rice transplanting is 65%. However, so far, 16
models of power weeder have been created and are undergoing lab trials.
According to local agricultural machinery manufacturers, more than 1,000 local

companies are producing small machinery including threshers, irrigation pumps,
power tillers, and garden maintenance machines which are only 5%-6% of the
agricultural machinery used in the country.
They said the tasks of planting seeds and seedlings, fertilising land, and harvesting are
still done by agricultural workers. Some machines that are being used for these
purposes are completely imported.
A farmer uses a combined harvester for harvesting paddy. The machine, developed by
the BRRI, is capable of harvesting paddy on 3-4 bighas of land per hour. Photo: TBS
Md Waliullah, owner of Janata Engineering, said, "It took a year for the device that
we have manufactured experimentally. We have to make a new investment for its
commercial production. For this, we need policy support from the government."
BRRI officials said some companies in the country have the capacity to manufacture
heavy machinery, but that requires infrastructural development and investment.
The government is providing 50%-70% subsidies for purchasing heavy agricultural

devices in different regions. But these machines are being purchased from importers.
Large-scale investment in this sector will come only if the government provides
subsidies for buying devices from local producers, they said.
BRRI is implementing the project involving an estimated cost of Tk44 crore, which
started in 2019 and is scheduled to end in 2024. The organisation will send 20
scientists and 20 officials abroad for higher education. Some 6,480 farmers,
mechanics, and service providers are also being trained under the project.
Nine agricultural mechanisation villages have been selected for the use of agricultural
machinery at all stages of paddy production under the project.
Use of agricultural machinery still low
Researchers told TBS that even though the use of agricultural machinery started in the
country in the 1990s, farm mechanisation has not yet got the expected momentum as
the use of machinery is still limited to mostly land preparation and threshing.
Research in this sector started two years ago through the BRRI.
According to sources, the use of power tillers for land preparation started in the mid-
nineties. Currently, 98% of the country's croplands are prepared by power tillers.
On the other hand, seedling and transplanting devices are used on only 2% of the land,
fertilising devices on 3%, and harvesting machines are used on 3% of the land.
Benzir Alam, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said,

"Around 40,000-50,000 tractors are needed every year. Of these, only 3,000 tractors
are manufactured locally."
A farmer uses a combined harvester for harvesting paddy. The machine, developed by
the BRRI, is capable of harvesting paddy on 3-4 bighas of land per hour. Photo: TBS
Problems in private investment
Many local entrepreneurs including Janata Engineering, Alim Industries, Munnu

Group, ACI, and RK Metal want to invest in agricultural machinery. However, for
this, they want government support.
Entrepreneurs said that in the first stage, a lot of investment has to be made to create
the production lines for which low-interest bank loans would be needed. Besides,
agricultural devices are imported duty-free or VAT-free, but 35%-65% VAT is
needed for importing agro machinery parts which should be waived.
Under the agricultural mechanisation project, the government will provide about
57,000 agricultural devices across the country. Entrepreneurs demand government
subsidies on locally manufactured devices.
AKM Saiful Islam of the BRRI said, "We will hold a seminar soon where high-level
government officials will be present along with private entrepreneurs. The main
purpose of the seminar will be to understand the crises faced by the entrepreneurs
regarding investment in this sector. We will also discuss the government benefits that
could be provided in this regard."
The government has been focusing on increasing the use of machinery in agriculture.
To this end, it has been implementing a Tk3,020 crore project since 2010. The
government provides 50%-70% subsidy for the purchase of large agricultural
machinery under the project.
Recently, Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque told a programme that even after
giving such subsidies, prices of imported agri machinery are beyond the purchasing
power of ordinary farmers. For this, an industry has to be developed locally for the
production of agricultural machinery, he added.
Janata Engineering's Waliullah said, "Sales of agricultural machinery should be

guaranteed with interest-free loans and subsidy facilities. At the same time,
government policy should be formulated for providing the benefits that are needed to
build a local industry. Only then will private entrepreneurs invest in this sector."
Alimul Ehsan Chowdhury, president of the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers'

Association-Bangladesh, said, "Some of the raw materials for making agricultural
devices have to be imported. But for this, we have to pay a high VAT, which has to be
waived."
Economy / Top News
Agro machine industry / Agro machinery / BRRI
COMMENTS
While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation
decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The
Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/brri-innovations-pave-way-local-agro-machine-industry-396730
Scientists flag rice shortage concerns
as world frets about food shortage in
South-East Asia
 ASEANPLUS NEWS
 Sunday, 03 Apr 2022
6:45 PM MYT
Related News
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Asean News Headlines at 9pm on Sunday (April 3, 2022)

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A trader selling rice at a stall in a market in Batangas City, Philippines, on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. - Bloomberg
MANILA, Apr 3 (Bloomberg): Concerns are rising over the ability of South-East Asia to
retain its title as a major rice supplier to the world as countries such as the Philippines
and Indonesia struggle to even produce enough for their own needs.
according to a study published in Nature Food journal in March. '
This means they will have to rely on imports to meet domestic demand for a staple
crucial to food security, political stability and export potential.
"The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to rice systems in Southeast
room for cropland expansion.
"Concerns about rice shortages are back.”
jeopardy, further pushing up food prices that had already been on the rise.
Still, rice prices have been relatively subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in
top growing regions, keeping the food crisis from getting worse.
STARPICKS
Why the stock market index is important for you

READ ALSO: The World’s Next Food Emergency Is Here as War Compounds Hunger Prospects
for rice self-sufficiency vary by country.
Thailand and Vietnam produce more than they consume, while Indonesia and the
Philippines "have struggled consistently” to meet rice demand from their own
South-East Asia continues to produce a large surplus of rice, the researchers added, as it
can help reduce global price volatility and provide stable and affordable rice supplies. -
Bloomberg
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/04/03/scientists-flag-rice-shortage-concerns-as-
world-frets-about-food-shortage-in-south-east-asia
We swallow a credit card’s worth of plastic
every single week, study finds
Comment
Jeff ParsonsMonday 4 Apr 2022 10:10 am
The average person is consuming five grams of microplastics every single week according to one study (Credits: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Over the course of a week, humans will consume around five grams of microplastic particles – the equivalent to a single credit card.
As you’d expect, most of this comes from drinks – whether you’re drinking from plastic bottles or straight from the tap.
Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna found that, over the course of a year, humans consume on average 90,000 particles of microplastics
from bottled sources of water. That drops to 40,000 if you opt for tap water.
Microplastic particles are also found in things like seafood.
Because of the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean, it is ingested by fish that eventually works its way back to us.
But it’s not just seafood.

‘Recent studies have also indicated the presence of MPs [microplastics] in some terrestrial food items, such as edible fruit and vegetables and store-bought
rice, but further research is needed to replicate these findings,’ the researchers wrote.
Consuming this much plastic isn’t great for our overall health. In the study, the scientists say it can create changes in our gastrointestinal tract, which can
lead to metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes and chronic liver disease.
The obvious question is, what can we do about it? Sadly, not much.
Plastic is so ubuiquitous in our society that we may have already gone past the point of no return.
According to the study, the health effects of plastic ‘may be irreversible’ and could be putting future generations at risk.
https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/04/people-are-eating-5g-of-plastic-particles-each-week-study-says-16400731/
Farmers call for repeal of

Golden Rice
April 4, 2022 | 5:15 pm
IRRI
Farmers and stakeholders opposed on Monday the use of Golden Rice, a genetically
modified variety of rice co-developed by the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI).
“[Genetically modified] crops such as Golden Rice contaminate local rice varieties,
ultimately erasing the genetic traits and characteristics of our traditional and farmer-
bred rice varieties,” said environmental biologist Dr. Charito P. Medina at a blended
press briefing.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Years of effort spent to breed climate change–resilient varieties that are ecologically
apt will go extinct in the blink of an eye,” he added.
The new rice variety will be deployed in areas with high prevalence of Vitamin A
deficiency by the third quarter of 2022 before rolling out to the general public.
In 2021, the Philippines issued a biosafety permit and approved the commercial

propagation of the Vitamin A-enriched Golden Rice, after more than a decade of field
tests that were opposed by farmers, scientists, and environmental groups like
Greenpeace.
“IRRI has a long list of crimes against Filipino farmers,” said Cris C. Panerio, national
coordinator of farmer-scientist group Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng
Agrikultura (MASIPAG), citing debts due to due to costly chemical requirements and
ailments due to long-term exposure to chemical pesticides.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the Department of Agriculture (DA),
and IRRI have been quick to legitimize Golden Rice while offering little to no
information on its environmental and health precautions, according to the network.
To combat malnutrition and ensure food security, speakers instead suggested

promoting readily available, diverse, and safe Vitamin A food sources from sustainable
and ecological farming.
Rodolfo Cortez, a Negros Occidental-based farmer-leader, shared that he worries about

Golden Rice’s “marketability amid the unreasonably low price of rice grain in the market
due to the Rice Tariffication Law.”
The law, known as Republic Act No. 11203, liberalized rice imports that used to be
heavily regulated, allowing private parties to import with fewer restrictions though
requiring them to pay a 35% tariff on Southeast Asian grain.
This February, farmers campaigned to repeal the act, claiming that it failed to meet its
objective of improving their prosperity after three years. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
ADVERTISEMENT
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https://www.bworldonline.com/farmers-call-for-repeal-of-golden-rice/
Singapore scientists working on better

ways to produce healthier plant-based
food
 SINGAPORE
 Monday, 04 Apr 2022
1:17 PM MYT
Scrambled egg made with HerbYvore's liquid egg, which is made from mung beans. - HERBYVORE,
AGROCORP INTERNATIONAL
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Scientists in Singapore are

working to extract protein from crushed peas and legumes more efficiently to make
better and healthier plant-based meats and cheeses.
Such protein, the star ingredient of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, can be
compromised by traditional processing methods.
Chemicals and heat used to extract the protein may cause its structure to unravel,
affecting the protein's ability to give shape to plant-based meat and dairy products.
Therefore, less healthy ingredients such as sodium, oils and fillers such as carbohydrates
are added to the products to help boost the resemblance of the vegan products to the
real deal.
The resource-intensive protein extraction process also uses huge amounts of water.
Scientists at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and a home-grown agricultural

supply chain company are looking to fix these issues with a four-year research tie-up.
The university and Agrocorp International will test novel technologies to optimise the
protein extraction process and make it greener, while recovering more high-quality
protein compared with traditional methods.
STARPICKS

Food scientists from both sides are also working on expanding their range of plant-based
food.
Their first product - cottage cheese made from peas - is being sold under Agrocorp's
HerbYvore brand. They are currently scaling up other products including cream cheese
and cheddar made from yellow peas, and liquid egg made from mung beans.
The scientists believe this is Singapore's first research programme that aims to optimise
the plant protein extraction process.
To do this, the scientists will give yellow peas a small "electric shock" to create holes in
their cell walls so that the protein molecules can be easily teased out.
A machine known as the Pulsed Electric Field will apply short electrical pulses of high
voltage to the peas.
SIT's vice-president of applied research Susanna Leong, who is heading the research
programme, said the process requires low energy.
The yellow peas, also known as split peas, will be sourced from Agrocorp. The team may
also extract proteins from fava beans, mung beans and chickpeas.
In another extraction method, the researchers add enzyme mixtures into a reactor
containing crushed peas. The enzymes will break down plant cell walls and help to
selectively remove proteins, said Associate Professor Leong.
"Traditionally, you have to use a lot of sodium hydroxide and acid to recover the
proteins. The enzyme-based method aims to eliminate the need for chemicals," she
added.
Agrocorp director of strategic investments Vishal Vijay said copious amounts of water
are needed to wash away the chemicals from the protein powder produced by the
company's processing facility in Canada.
He said about 10 tonnes of water are needed to produce one tonne of plant protein, but
the enzyme-based extraction can slash the amount of water needed by up to 70 per
cent.
When water usage is lowered, cost is also reduced, he added.
The new process can also extract more protein from the raw peas, compared with
conventional methods that tend to lose about 40 per cent of protein in the extraction
process, he noted.
Improving the extraction process through greener methods brings down ingredient
costs, helping Agrocorp reach its goal of matching its plant-based food prices with those
of ordinary cheese and meat.
A 250g block of HerbYvore pea cottage cheese - or paneer - costs about $7 while
ordinary paneer costs about $5, said Vishal.
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https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/04/04/singapore-scientists-
working-on-better-ways-to-produce-healthier-plant-based-food
Scientists flag rice shortage concerns
as world frets about food shortage in
South-East Asia
 ASEANPLUS NEWS
 Sunday, 03 Apr 2022
6:45 PM MYT
A trader selling rice at a stall in a market in Batangas City, Philippines, on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. - Bloomberg
MANILA, Apr 3 (Bloomberg): Concerns are rising over the ability of South-East Asia to
retain its title as a major rice supplier to the world as countries such as the Philippines
and Indonesia struggle to even produce enough for their own needs.
according to a study published in Nature Food journal in March. '
This means they will have to rely on imports to meet domestic demand for a staple
crucial to food security, political stability and export potential.
"The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to rice systems in Southeast
room for cropland expansion.
"Concerns about rice shortages are back.”
jeopardy, further pushing up food prices that had already been on the rise.
Still, rice prices have been relatively subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in
top growing regions, keeping the food crisis from getting worse.
STARPICKS

READ ALSO: The World’s Next Food Emergency Is Here as War Compounds Hunger Prospects
for rice self-sufficiency vary by country.
Thailand and Vietnam produce more than they consume, while Indonesia and the
Philippines "have struggled consistently” to meet rice demand from their own
South-East Asia continues to produce a large surplus of rice, the researchers added, as it
can help reduce global price volatility and provide stable and affordable rice supplies. -
Bloomberg
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concerns-as-world-frets-about-food-shortage-in-south-east-asia
Food grains heading to rice mills in the midst of uncertainty
Farmers selling below MSP of ₹1,960 a quintal

In the face of uncertainty over procurement of paddy cultivated in the ongoing rabi by the government,
farmers have already started moving the harvested crop to private rice mills and selling it well below the
minimum support price of ₹1,960 a quintal for fine variety that was more easily marketable. The
movement of stocks was only in the case of early crop, which was sown immediately after the season began,
while the harvest of late sowings will take another week, sources said. They added that the millers came
forward to purchase the fine variety at over ₹2,000 a quintal initially but the rates dropped to less than
₹1,900 in the last couple of days. At some places, it was even ₹1,750 a quintal.
Drop in prices
The drop in prices was attributed to stepped up arrivals at mills which resulted in farmers waiting for their
turn for two or three days to dispose of the stocks. The initial arrival of crops that were harvested a fortnight
ago which were in smaller quantities fetched good prices for farmers. On the other hand, the Food
Corporation of India has refused to accept custom milled rice of 2020-21 rabi season after March 31 though
the State government wanted the deadline to be extended by two months.
Union Minister of State for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy said that the State government was yet to meet its
target of 2020-21 rabi despite several reminders. The Centre will keep its commitment to the State for 2020-
21 rabi but not the corresponding season which has triggered the stand-off with the State.
Author Name: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/food-grains-heading-to-rice-mills-in-
the-midst-of-uncertainty/article65286802.ece
Date: 03-Apr-2022
Cambodia to play key role in meeting global rice demand

A recent study published by nature.com showed that global demand for rice is expected to increase 30
percent by 2050, however, with a “limited scope available for other main rice-producing countries such as
China and India”, it will become incumbent on the countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam to close the future deficit. “At present, the region accounts for 26 percent
and 40 percent of global rice production and exports, respectively, being a major rice supplier for other world
regions such as Africa and the Middle East,” it said. Over the past decades, countries in Southeast Asia were
able to increase rice yields. However, there are concerns about whether future quotas can be met, as noted
by a research analyst within the publication. “There is now evidence of yield stagnation in four of the six
major rice-producing countries in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam)”. Aligning with
reports that “the harvestable rice area has remained stable [within the aforementioned countries] or even
declined slightly in some countries recently and is under growing threat of conversion for residential and
industrial uses”. So, in the absence of land expansion, what can be done to make better use of the available
land? A publication titled the ‘Use of Legume Cover Crops to Improve Soil Fertility, Rice Yield and Profits’, co-
produced by the DALRM, GDA & CIRAD, details the story of Heng Hour, owner of a family-run rice farm in Boh
Village, Rovieng District, who transitioned to Regenerative Farming practices to increase his yields. “We
started farming rice in 1979. In the past, the soil was rich and the yield was high. From year to year, the yield
decreased due to the loss of the soil fertility, higher weed pressure and diseases.” Heng explained that access
to greater water controls helped his yield, but the remaining issue of soil fertility meant that “rice production
was still not economically viable”. In November 2019, Hour was invited to a village meeting organised by the
agronomists of the Conservation Agriculture Service Center and SmartAgro, a startup specialised in cover
crops and bio-products. They presented the use of ‘legume cover crops’ to improve soil health in the
community. According to organicgrowersschool.com, a ‘cover crop’ is a crop you “grow for the soil, instead of
for your plate”, a practice dating as far back as the Roman Empire. Cover crops add “organic matter to the
soil, and add nitrogen in a slow-release way that plants can handle, leading to less nitrogen volatilisation”.
After implementing the legume cover crop strategy, Heng saw his yield grow by approximately 1 tonne per
hectare compared with the previous year, noting a drastic increase in quality with over 60 percent of his yield
being sold under the class one standard. “After the ploughing of the cover crops, I noticed the good smell of
the decomposition of the cover crops. I observed many big earthworms and the soil was loose and soft when
we walked into the field. After transplanting, the plants grew fast, the rice leaves were dark green, and I
observed that the grains were well filled.” The cover crop practice is just one of many ‘Regenerative Farming’
methods that could be used to bolster rice yield and quality without dependence on high concentrations of
chemicals. Regenerative Farming is a practice that actually rejuvenates Earth’s ecosystems, as opposed to
just sustaining them.

Author Name: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501052313/cambodia-to-play-key-role-in-meeting-global-
rice-demand/
Date: 04-Apr-2022

Rice Market Update: USDA Planting Report is Purely

Prospective, Far from Actual
Pri
ces remain firm as planting gets underway. The initial USDA Prospective Plantings report just published this
week has a much rosier picture than the industry is currently projecting. The table below shows that the total
long grain production is expected to be 99% of last year’s total. The industry is predicting a 10-15% decline, or
acres looking much closer to 1.65 million acres. This lower acreage number would appear to be baked into
paddy prices right now, which are holding firm across all regions despite scant offshore demand. Louisiana is
the only region that is expected to gain acres with any significance, and the rest are expected to taper. The
actual USDA acreage report is released on June 30 along with an updated rice stocks report. Looking at
Medium Grain, the big drop will be coming from drought-plagued California. The USDA is projecting a
315,000 acre medium grain crop from the west coast, but recent water allocations coming out of GCID, the
State’s largest water district, are dismal. Initial signals are showing that acreage could fall well below even a
270,000 acre level. Medium grain across the rest of the states will hold relatively constant. It will be
interesting to watch planting progress as the weeks tick by and the actual numbers come to light. As far as
planting goes, Louisiana has crested the 60% planted now, approaching as high as 70%. Texas is now
approximately nearly 50% planted as well, though rain has slowed progress there a bit last week. They are
itching to get started in Arkansas, and we expect to have first plantings by this time next week. The March
rice stocks report was released this week, showing rough rice stocks in all positions down by 8% from this
time last year. To break things out, long grain rough is down by 11%, and long grain milled almost 6% down,
medium rough about equal, and medium grain milled rice stocks down nearly 40%. In Asia, Thai prices firmed
slightly up to $415pmt, and Viet prices softened just a bit to come down to $415pmt. This is largely based on
currency fluctuations and strong demand coming out of China and the usual suspects like the
Philippines. India is still holding at steady at $365pmt, and Pakistan is coming in just below at $360pmt. The
weekly USDA Export Sales report shows net sales of 17,000 MT for this week, down 80% from the previous
week and 71% from the prior 4-week average. Increases were primarily for Guatemala (5,500 MT), Honduras
(3,500 MT, including decreases of 400 MT), Mexico (3,300 MT), Canada (2,600 MT), and Saudi Arabia (800
MT). Exports of 27,500 MT were down 49% from the previous week and from the prior 4-week average. The
destinations were primarily to Guatemala (11,000 MT), Honduras (6,000 MT), Canada (3,300 MT), Mexico
(2,700 MT), and Jordan (1,600 MT).
Author Name: https://agfax.com/2022/04/02/rice-market-update-usda-planting-report-is-purely-
prospective-far-from-actual/
Date: 02-Apr-2022

India invokes peace clause for 3rd time as rice subsidies exceed
cap
India has for the third time invoked the peace clause for

exceeding the 10% ceiling on support it offered its rice farmers. The country informed the WTO that the value
of its rice production in 2020-21 was $45.56 billion while it gave subsidies worth $6.9 billion, which comes
out to 15.14% as against the permitted 10%. The peace clause protects India's food
procurement programmes against action from WTO members in case the subsidy ceilings are breached. New
Delhi had first invoked the clause in 2020 when it became the first country to do so. New Delhi told the WTO
on Friday the stocks under the programme are acquired and released to meet the domestic food security
needs of India's poor and vulnerable population, and not to impede commercial trade or food security of
others.
Author Name: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-invokes-peace-
clause-for-3rd-time-as-rice-subsidies-exceed-cap/articleshow/90599994.cms
Cuba & Chile to buy Basmati Rice from Haryana

Latin American countries Cuba and Chile have expressed interest to purchase Basmati rice from Haryana. For
this, a delegation of Cuba will visit Haryana next month. While giving this information on Saturday, a
spokesperson of the Foreign Cooperation Department said the chairman of HAFED Kailash Bhagat, managing
director A Sreenivas and adviser to the department of foreign cooperation Pawan Choudhary held a meeting
with Ambassador of Cuba to India, Alejandro Simancas Marin and Ambassador of Chile, Juan Angulo to
discuss mutual cooperation with Haryana in various fields. During the meeting, Cuba and Chile have
expressed interest to procure Basmati rice from Haryana. In addition, opportunities for cooperation in
information technology, pharma and aviation will also be explored by Cuba. Therefore, a delegation from
Cuba will visit Haryana next month. The export graph of the state will increase with the purchase of Basmati
rice from Haryana by Cuba and Chile and the trade and bilateral relations of Haryana with these countries will
also get strengthened, the spokesperson said. He said the Ambassadors of Cuba and Chile also appreciated
the thinking and vision of the Chief Minister Manohar Lal and said the initiative taken by the Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar for Heart to Heart Connect relationship is unique and commendable in itself. The
Ambassador of Chile, Juan Angulo said,”We are already working closely with the Government of India and
we are glad that Haryana has contacted us. Certainly Cuba will take forward its relations with Haryana,”. The
spokesperson said that the Haryana Government is continuously making consistent efforts to promote
bilateral relations with other countries. In this episode, Haryana-Africa Conclave Series-1 was organized with
African countries and a meeting was also held with the delegation of Latin America and Caribbean countries
on March 27, 2022 at Surajkund, Faridabad, in which delegations from 11 countries had participated.
Author Name: https://www.thestatesman.com/india/cuba-chile-buy-basmati-rice-haryana-1503057007.html
Date: 02-Apr-2022

India speeds up rice shipments to help crisis-ridden Sri

Lanka
Photo Credit: IANS
IANSLive
New Delhi, April 4: A consignment of Indian rice is being loaded for immediate shipment to Sri Lanka to
help the island nation confronted with an acute shortage of food items.
The rice shipments would increase the availability of food and bring down prices, which have doubled in
a year triggering street protests and leading to an emergency being clamped by the government to quell
riots in the country.
About 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka is being loaded at India's ports in the south
which are close to Sri Lanka. This is expected to ensure quick delivery ahead of the festive season in the
island nation when demand is expected to shoot up further, according to a Reuters report.
The consignment forms part of the 300,000 tonnes of rice that will be shipped to Sri Lanka in the coming
months.
Previous administrations led by the Rajapaksa family had taken Sri Lanka deep into China's fold which
resulted in the country landing in a debt trade trap that is behind much of the current economic crisis.
Relations with India had soured at the time.
Colombo has now strengthened its friendship with New Delhi and is receiving help from a more reliable
neighbour.
India has also rushed 40,000 tonnes of diesel under a $1 billion credit line given to Sri Lanka. The ship
carrying the fuel has reached the island nation.
The Sri Lankan economy is on the brink of collapse as it is running out of foreign exchange reserves and
cannot import even essential goods such as food, fuel and medicines.
India is the world's biggest rice exporter and had agreed last month to provide the $1 billion credit line to
help ease shortages of essential items, including fuel, food and medicines.
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka, with a debt burden of $6.9 billion this year, had sought another credit line of
$1.5 billion from India to meet its import requirements.
In February, New Delhi provided $500 million to Colombo that helped the island nation in oil purchases.
A $1 billion credit line was signed during Sri Lankan finance minister Basil Rajapaksa's visit to New
Delhi earlier this month.
Sri Lanka's economy has also been battered due to the COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacting tourism
and remittances which played a key role in building its foreign exchange reserves. The crisis has also
been exacerbated by government mismanagement.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative
Update: 04-April-2022

India supplies rice, diesel to crisis-hit Sri

Lanka as protests intensify: Top
developments
TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Apr 2, 2022, 21:18 IST
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India supplies rice, diesel to crisis-hit Sri Lanka as protests intensify: Top developments
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India can consider immediate relief by air if Lanka requests it, says India's HC to Sri Lanka

India starts supplying rice to Sri Lanka in first major food aid
A line for diesel fuel in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka (NYT)
NEW DELHI: In the latest effort to curb unrest arising out of the economic crisis, Sri Lanka has declared a 36-hour nationwide curfew from Saturday
evening.
This comes close on the heels of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declaring a public emergency amidst a spate of protests against severe shortages of
essential supplies.
Many economists say the crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing, ill-advised tax cuts and the impact
of Covid on the economy..
Here are the latest developments from the island nation as it battles the worst economic crisis in its modern history:
36-hour curfew from Saturday evening
Sri Lanka's police announced a 36-hour curfew on Saturday to head off planned mass anti-government protests against worsening shortages of food, fuel
and medicines.
The curfew will go into effect at 6pm Saturday and be lifted on Monday morning at 6am, police said
On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invoked a state of emergency following a violent attempt to storm his house.
He said the state of emergency was necessary to protect public order and maintain essential supplies and services.
Protests turn violent
Security forces were deployed across the Sri Lankan capital on Friday after protesters tried to storm the president's home in anger at the nation's worst
economic crisis since independence.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters after they pulled down a steel barricade placed near the president's residence.
Police in Colombo said they arrested 45 people after Thursday night's unrest, in which one man was critically injured.
Police and military presence was beefed up around the city, where the burnt-out wreckage of a bus was still blocking the road to President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa's house.
Shops opened in Sri Lanka's capital city Colombo amid tight security on Saturday - the first day after a state of emergency was declared.
Read Also
Explained: Why Sri Lankans are angry at Rajapaksas
NEW DELHI: Severe shortage of essentials, skyrocketing prices, crippling power cuts and dwindling foreign reserves. Crisis-hit Sri Lanka is undoubtedly
facing its most painful downturn since independence in 1948. The paralyzing crisis has triggered massive civil unrest in the country, forcing the
Acute energy crisis in island nation

The island nation of 22 million people is grappling with rolling blackouts for up to 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign exchange
to pay for fuel imports.
More than 40 percent of Sri Lanka's electricity is generated from hydro, but most of the reservoirs were running dangerously low because there had been no
rains, officials said.
Most electricity production is from coal and oil. Both are imported but in short supply as the country does not have enough foreign exchange to pay for
supplies.
A vessel carrying 5,500 metric tonnes of cooking gas had to leave Sri Lankan waters after the company that ordered it could not procure $4.9 million from
local banks to pay for it.
The government has said it is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund while asking for fresh loans from India and China.
Officials of the state fuel entity, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said 40,000 MT of diesel supplied by India would ease the ongoing power cuts.
India denies reports of dispatching soldiers to Sri Lanka
Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka denied reports of India dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka and called the reports 'completely baseless'.
"High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka," a
statement by the mission read.
"The High Commission also condemns such irresponsible reporting and expects the concerned to desist from spreading rumours," it added.
India extends help
India can consider a request for immediate relief through an airlift if Colombo requests it, India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay told The
Times of India in an exclusive interview.
The fuel Line of Credit (LOC) which is $500 million, is already under implementation, and Sri Lankan has already received some supplies. Three
consignments have already been delivered, the 4th is arriving in Colombo on Saturday, Baglay said.
In the first major food aid to the country since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice.
India on Saturday delivered another 40,000 MT of diesel to Sri Lanka. India has supplied around 200,000 MT of fuel to the island nation over the last 50
days.
'Social media activist abducted'
A Sri Lankan man on Saturday alleged that his son, who is a social media activist, has been abducted by the police.
Anurudda Bandara's father said that his son was taken away by someone from the north Colombo police station of Modera on Friday night.
He said the inquiries he had made with the police station concerned had denied that he was in their custody.
Upon a complaint lodged with the Human Rights Commission by the Young Journalists' Association, it has been revealed that Bandara is being questioned
by the police elsewhere.
His questioning came ahead of a planned civil society protest on Sunday which has been organised through social media to carry out a nationwide protest
against the government for its handling of the ongoing economic crisis.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
FM University starts research project on

'Pan, Dhan, Mina'
Hemanta Pradhan | TNN | Apr 3, 2022, 14:07 IST
BHUBANESWAR: The Fakir Mohan University Balasore has started a research project to conduct study
on betel (Pan), paddy (Dhan) and fish (Mina). Normally people of the district boast of these three things
while discussing agriculture and fish farming.
Santosh Kumar Tripathy, vice-chancellor of the university, said this integrated project is a part of a social
outreach programme to help the local farmers while conducting research on these aspects. “We have
already started these project works in our campus. Professors of two concerned departments are
working on this,” he added.
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Surjendu Kumar Dey, professor of Environmental Science department of the university, who is in the
charge of Pan project, said Pan is a cash crop in Bhogarai and Baliapal blocks of Balasore district. “There
are many varieties of Pan in Odisha and several of them are found in Balasore. Under this project, we
will conduct a survey and collect Pan varieties for our research study. We will also cultivate some of
these varieties of Pan in our campus for study purposes,” he added.
He said they will develop a germplasm conservatory and conserve germplasms of Pan. “We will study
these varieties and try to find out qualitative components of the plant. If we get good qualities like the
disease tolerant aspect of a Pan variety, we will develop new varieties with this quality through tissue
culture. We will also try to create biopesticide to control pests in Pan cultivation. It will help farmers too.
We will also find out the medicinal quality of the plant. It is in the planning stage,” he added.
Elssa Pandit, associate professor of bioscience and biotechnology department, in charge of Dhan
project, said they have already developed paddy saplings inside the campus for research works. “When I
was working in the National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) Cuttack, I was among the developers of 12
varieties of paddy. I want to use my expertise in this project and help the farmers here,” she added.
She said aerobic rice can be grown on less water. “Farmers are not aware about these varieties. We
want to create a centre here and develop varieties of paddy to help the farmers in increasing their
income,” she added.
Bhaskar Behera, head of biotechnology and zoology departments of the university, said they have
started working on the aspect of ‘Mina’. The university has already made a pond ready for this project.
Three more ponds will be prepared for this purpose. The university has already signed a memorandum
of understanding with ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) Bhubaneswar and ICAR-
Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) Kolkata for training and research works.
“These two institutions will provide training and equipment through our university. We have already
provided training to schedule caste farmers of Balasore on fish farming. We have plans to give more
training to SC and ST farmers. It is a part of our social outreach programme. Besides, we are conducting
research on varieties of fish seen in the coastal part of Balasore,” he added.
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