10th december,2020 daily global regional local rice e newsltter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
1 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
December 10 ,2020 Vol 11 Issue 12
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Editorial Board
Chief Editor
 Hamlik
Managing Editor
 Abdul Sattar Shah
 Rahmat Ullah
 Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
 Maryam Editor
 Legal Advisor
 Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
 Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid
 Javed Islam Agha
 Zahid Baig(Business Recorder)
 Dr.Akhtar Hussain
 Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
 Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
 Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
 Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal
University DIK
 Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
 Dr.Hidayat Ullah
Assistant Professor, University
of Swabi
 Dr.Abdul Basir
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
 Zahid Mehmood
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
 Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology
ART, Peshawar
Rice News Headlines…
 Will Rising Temperatures Make Rice Too Toxic?
 Govt to import 50,000 tonnes of rice
 Zinc rice fortification: Indian officials reject academic
recommendations in favour of other health policies
 Rice State Research and Outlook Report Webinars Online
 Indian Bank FGM visit to Raipur Zone
 Reform in rice procurement policy is a must
 Harvested paddy brings distress to farmers
 Rice exporters challenge Indian GI claims on basmati in EU
 Operators Urge FG to Incentivise Farmers to Boost Food Production
 Nigeria: How Kano Is Becoming Country’s Rice Milling Hub
 Potential immunity from COVID-19 in sight in Georgia
 How important is science in the mirror of the epidemic?
 Cabinet body okays imports of rice and fertilisers
 Cabinet committee okays 50,000-ton rice import from India
 Bangladesh to buy another 50,000 tonnes of rice from Indian supplier
 Indian farmers to step up protests, reject tweaks on new farm laws
 Pakistani rice exporters challenge Indian claim over basmati in EU
 Bangladesh to import 50,000 tonne rice from India
 BiotechJP sets up PHL shop for RTE rice
 Solar Philippines targeting 1,000-MW solar installations
 Yogi to inaugurate mega webinar on Purvanchal development
 Industry-led workforce development paving the way for state growth

News Detail…
Will Rising Temperatures Make Rice Too Toxic?
Greenhouse experiments reveal how higher temperatures act to elevate arsenic levels in rice and
may help focus efforts to solve a crisis threatening food systems around the world.
Elevated levels of harmful arsenic in rice already threaten Cambodia and other countries in South
and Southeast Asia. Credit: University of Washington
By Nikk Ogasa
Rice feeds about half the world, but it is vulnerable to rising temperatures. Increased heat boosts
the arsenic uptake from soil to rice plants, perhaps to toxic levels for infants. A new
analysis presented at AGU‘s virtual Fall Meeting 2020 revealed the root cause of this potentially
poisonous transfer, providing another clue for field scientists working to address the problem.
―We found strong evidence that what‘s really controlling this process is a microbially mediated
reaction that takes arsenic out of the soil and [puts it] into the water,‖ said Yasmine Farhat, a
doctoral candidate in environmental engineering at the University of Washington and lead author
of the study, which appeared in Science of the Total Environment in October.
Getting to the Root of the Problem
Rice is particularly vulnerable to arsenic uptake because unlike most crops, it grows in flooded
conditions with anoxic soil. Microbes that thrive in these anoxic environments release arsenic
into the soil‘s pore water through normal metabolic reactions. Once liberated from soil particles,
this pore water arsenic can be taken up by the rice plant‘s roots.
Previous studies have focused mainly on heat stress and its impact on how rice plants grow,
possibly making them more likely to concentrate arsenic. What the new research indicates,
however, is that ―bioavailability may be more important,‖ Farhat said.
―Elevated growing temperatures may increase the risk of dietary arsenic exposure in rice systems
that were previously considered low risk.‖Farhat‘s team grew rice plants in four greenhouses set
to daytime temperatures of 25.4°C, 27.9°C, 30.5°C, and 32.9°C. (Nighttime temperatures were
about 2°C cooler.) Each chamber contained pots with soil from a rice field in Davis, Calif., with
relatively low levels of arsenic. The team then sampled plant tissue, soil, and pore water as the
plants grew.
Results showed a strong link between rice grain arsenic concentrations and temperature and
confirmed that in hotter conditions, soil pore water contained more arsenic. Farhat‘s team used a
mass balance calculation to show that this increased bioavailability of arsenic was the main
driver of higher arsenic levels in the plants.
The fact that her team used soil low in arsenic is crucial, Farhat said: ―Elevated growing
temperatures may increase the risk of dietary arsenic exposure in rice systems that were
previously considered low risk.‖
Potential Solutions

The authors suggested that real-world solutions to curtail high arsenic levels in rice should focus
on restricting availability of the toxin. One approach is to let soils dry out intermittently, a
method known as wetting and drying.
―If you give the soils time to breathe, or become oxygenated, it is known to reduce arsenic quite
a bit,‖ said Manoj Menon, a soil and environmental scientist at the University of Sheffield in the
United Kingdom who was not involved in the study. Another potential solution, Menon said, is
planting arsenic-resistant varieties of rice.
In locations where arsenic availability mitigation is not feasible, cooking treatments could help.
In a recent paper on which he was the lead author, Menon demonstrated a cooking method called
―parboiling and adsorption,‖ which removed 54% of inorganic arsenic from brown rice and 73%
from white rice.
Taking Action
In many areas across the globe, especially the tropics, people consume rice multiple times a day.
For some, alternative food staples are simply not available. A rising concentration of arsenic in
rice poses a slow moving but dire threat to these communities.
―It‘s a big problem in South and Southeast Asia—anywhere where they irrigate with
groundwater,‖ said Farhat, who has done extensive fieldwork in Cambodia.
According to Menon, no single solution will solve the problem of arsenic in rice. ―Although this
is common across Asia, there are regional differences,‖ he noted. The most critical step now, he
said, is for researchers to bridge the gap between their work in the lab and agricultural practices
in the field: ―We have to educate people, at the community level.‖
—Nikk Ogasa (@nikkogasa), Science Writer
Citation: Ogasa, N. (2020), Will rising temperatures make rice too toxic?, Eos,
101, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EO152353. Published on 09 December 2020.
Text © 2020. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express
permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.
https://eos.org/articles/will-rising-temperatures-make-rice-too-toxic
Govt to import 50,000 tonnes of rice
The government yesterday gave its nod to a proposal to buy 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice
from abroad as part of its effort to augment public food stock. The initiative also aims at helping
the government intervene in the market through social safety net schemes to curb volatility in the
price of the staple. Indian company Rika Global Impex Ltd got the contract to supply the food
grain at $404 per tonne, said Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, additional secretary of the cabinet
division, after a meeting of the cabinet committee on purchase. In the local currency, the price
will be Tk 34.28 each kilogram. Law Minister Anisul Huq chaired the meeting. The Indian

supplier was the lowest bidder. The highest bid was $423.95 per tonne, said an official of the
food ministry.
This was the second tender from the government in the last one month as it was not getting
enough responses from farmers and millers to supply paddy and rice respectively at its fixed
prices because of soaring prices in the local market. Last month, the Directorate of Food invited
bids to buy the grains from external sources. The food office also could not attain the target on
the procurement of rice and paddy from the Boro harvest. But instead of hiking its rice and
paddy purchase prices from local markets during the current harvest of Aman crop, the food
ministry is turning to international markets to buy the grain. In the first phase, it plans to buy
300,000 tonnes of rice out of a target of up to 5 lakh tonnes to replenish the public food stock,
said Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum earlier this week. As of December 7, the
stock of foodgrains in the state-run warehouses was 7.9 lakh tonnes, down 43 percent from 13.87
lakh tonnes on the same day a year ago, food ministry data showed. Until the date, the
Directorate of Food has managed to buy only 53 tonnes of paddy out of its target of 200,000
tonnes from local growers. When it comes to rice, it has been able to procure 3,476 tonnes from
millers out of 600,000 tonnes targeted.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/govt-import-50000-tonnes-rice-2008761

Zinc rice fortification: Indian officials reject academic
recommendations in favour of other health policies
By Pearly Neo
09-Dec-2020 - Last updated on 09-Dec-2020 at 02:39 GMT
A new study has pushed for rice fortified with zinc to be made a priority in South Asian
countries such as India. ©Getty Images
A new study has pushed for rice fortified with zinc to be made a priority in South Asian
countries such as India, but the Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has
classified this as a ‘curative’ measure that is being addressed by other national health
policies.
The study revolved around countries in South Asia due to the common usage of parboiling – a
process where paddy is soaked, heat treated and dried before dehulling to get parboiled brown
rice and then milled to white - is extremely commonly used as a cooking method in the region.
Three biofortified and two non-biofortified variants of rice were examined.
Parboiled rice is generally believed to be more nutritious due to higher levels of Vitamin B, and
some variants have been shown to be lower in GI levels. However, the researchers in this study
revealed that the concentrations of zinc tend to be lower in parboiled rice as compared to non-
parboiled.
“[We saw a true retention (TR, a measurement of percentage remaining in grain) of between
63.8 to 89.6% zinc in non-parboiled compared to just 49.8 to72.2% for parboiled rice,” said the
report authors.
“In addition, the average zinc concentration in biofortified rice [was found to be] 18.0 µg.g−1
,
higher than non-biofortified [variants at] 12.3 µg.g−1
.
“[So we believe that rice containing higher zinc levels] should be considered for populations
that consume mostly parboiled or highly polished rice, [and also that] despite some known
nutritional benefits of parboiled rice, for populations with high zinc deficiency it is prudent to
promote the consumption of non-parboiled over parboiled rice.”
The study also examined the impacts of parboiling and fortification on the levels of iron and
phytic acid in rice, but did not observe any significant impacts.
Zinc deficiency is known to cause growth retardation, impaired immune function, hair loss,
diarrhoea and several other health impacts.

FSSAI response
FoodNavigator-Asia put forth these recommendations to FSSAI Director (Social and
Behavioural Change) Inoshi Sharma who is in charge of the country‘s upcoming mandatory
fortification regulations for the open market which will first be for oil and milk with rice to
follow at a later date.
All rice, salt and wheat provided via the nation‘s public distribution system are already being
fortified as well. Rice in particular is being fortified with iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12.
When asked why zinc has not been included as a necessary nutrient for rice fortification, whether
via developing high-zinc rice variants or later addition/processing, she stressed that this is
because „fortification is considered a preventive intervention and not a curative one‟.
“Zinc supplementation is usually recommended for the management of diarrhoea. That said,
FSSAI's regulation for dosages for wheat flour and rice do include zinc as an optional
micronutrient [so] the provision already exists,” she told us.
“As of date zinc [in India] is also administered via national programmes [such as] the National
Programme for Management for Diarrhoea] as an adjunct to Oral Rehydration Salts in children
older than 3 months.”
As for parboiling in general, she concurred that the consumption of parboiled rice in India „is
high‟ and recommended that millers in the open market fortify rice according to FSSAI-
recommended dosages as there are not yet any regulations mandating this.
The mandatory fortification of all edible oil and milk in India is expected within the next few
months, and Sharma expects regulations for rice to follow in three to four years.
https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2020/12/09/Zinc-rice-fortification-Indian-officials-
reject-academic-recommendations-in-favour-of-other-health-policie
Rice State Research and Outlook Report Webinars Online
By Michael Klein
ARLINGTON, VA -- Earlier this summer the annual USA Rice Outlook Conference was
cancelled. The gathering of around 1,000 rice industry leaders was scheduled for this week in
Austin, Texas, and would have featured, among other things, rice research and outlook reports
from the six rice-producing states. But even with no major event, the important and popular

reports needed to go forward.
"We worked with the presenters at the universities to convert the reports to live webinars which
we held last week," explained USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "We had great
participation with more than 375 people sitting in on the events, and now we've made recordings
of the presentations available online for those who were unable to view them live."
The presentations each run about one hour and can be found on the USA Rice website.
Moderated by The Rice Foundation's Dr. Steve Linscombe, the presentations featured
researchers from all six major rice-producing states: Arkansas' Dr. Jarrod Hardke, California's
Dr. Bruce Linquist, Louisiana's Drs. Don Groth and Ronnie Levy, Mississippi's Dr. Brian Mills
and Jeffrey Mansour, Missouri's Dr. Michael Aide, and Texas' Drs. Joe Outlaw and Ted Wilson.

"These presentations are always among the most popular sessions at our conference, so we were
happy to be able to still bring them to the industry," said Ward. "We appreciate the presenters
agreeing to the sessions, and thank our webinar sponsors -- National Rice Company, Nutrien,
Riceland Foods, Riviana, and Supreme Rice Mill -- for making this series possible."
USA Rice Daily
Indian Bank FGM visit to Raipur Zone
Thursday, 10 December 2020 | Staff Reporter | RAIPUR
nAll Branch Managers of Indian Bank have been urged by the Field General Manager (FGM) to
sanction more retail, MSME and agriculture loans.
B Suribabu advised them to focus on outreach of customers by opening new accounts and
sanctions of more loans, with a special emphasis on rice millers, a press release issued on
Wednesday said.
He visited Raipur on Monday to review the performance of the Raipur Zone. He felicitated the
customers and handed over Sanction Letters to new retail and MSME borrowers, the release said.
Indian Bank has 66 branches now under its Zonal Office at Raipur, catering to entire
Chhattisgarh. It is currently headed by Zonal Manager S. Rajkumar.
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/state-editions/indian-bank-fgm-visit-to-raipur-zone.html
Reform in rice procurement policy is a must
Published: 00:00, Dec 10,2020
THE government‘s flawed procurement policy and demonstrated bias towards rice millers have
resulted in its failure to meet the target of rice procurement. The Directorate General of Food on
Tuesday issued an order allowing rice millers to supply a half of the amount of rice that they
originally agreed to supply. The millers earlier entered into a contract with the government to
supply 6.5 lakh tonnes of aman for Tk 37 a kilogram by February but have so far only supplied
about 80,000 tonnes. To encourage the reluctant suppliers, the authorities concerned have now
decided to lower the expected amount of rice in a move that many economists think is another

example of ways policy decisions serve the profiteering interests of the millers. The
government‘s failure to secure rice stock paints a bleak picture when it is crucial to ensure an
adequate stock amidst a continued COVID-19 outbreak.
Similar reluctance on part of the millers was observed in the boro season, leading to the failure of
the government in reaching its procurement target. The Directorate General of Food could
procure about one million tonnes of boro rice against its target of two million tonnes as the
millers chose to hoard the stock for a better profit margin in future. Instead of ensuring that the
millers comply with their legal obligation and fulfil the order, the government has started
importing 300,000 tonnes of rice. The import decision not only makes food security dependent
on foreign market, it also marginalises farmers in question as import carries the risk of
destabilising the rice market. The way the government has set the price does not allow the
farmers to recover their production cost but allows the millers to buy rice from them for low
prices and build their stock. The price of boro set by the ministry was less than the production
cost, which compelled farmers to sell their produces for lower prices to millers or to the
government directly. The penalty that the government has set for errant millers, the forfeiture of
the security deposit, is insignificant compared with the profit the millers could make from
hoarding the stock. The situation suggests that the procurement policy is flawed and it favours
the interest of the millers.
The government must, therefore, heed calls for reforms in the procurement system and act to
ensure an adequate food stock in public storage. The authorities concerned must not need a
reminder that this is a critical year and that its inefficiency can lead to serious food shortage. It
simply cannot afford to continue at its sluggish pace.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/123881/reform-in-rice-procurement-policy-is-a-must
Harvested paddy brings distress to farmers
Some have already started selling their produce to traders well below the MSP due to delay in
procurement
Published: 10th December 2020 03:43 AM | Last Updated: 10th December 2020 07:32 AM |
Heaps of paddy stored on a threshing ground in a village in Kendrapara | Express
By Express News Service

KENDRAPARA: The harvesting season is almost over but heaps of paddy crops dot the open
storage fields and threshing grounds in Kendrapara, giving sleepless nights to farmers of the
district. Despite having the final harvest with them, delay in procurement has meant that the
producers wait till December end for the sale to start. As a result, some have already started
selling their produce to traders at well below the minimum support price (MSP).
Most farmers in the district had harvested paddy in the last week of November but the
procurement process will start only from December 28. While quintals of paddy are lying in the
open, the distance from the villages to the mandis is also a dampener for most. Desperate,
farmers have started selling their produce to private traders.
Ashok Mandal, a farmer of Jamboo said, it is not possible for him to wait till December 28 and
sell the produce to the primary agriculture cooperative society (PACS) at Mahakalapada, which
is around 15 km from his village. Mandal sold three quintals paddy to a trader for Rs 4,500 last
week. ―I know the government has fixed the MSP for fair average quality paddy at Rs 1,868 per
quintal. But I sold the stock to a few traders, who had come to our village recently,‖ he said.
Nagendra Mallick of Gopei village too feels there are problems galore in waiting to sell at
mandis. He harvested around 20 quintal two weeks back. ―I have stored my stock under the open
sky on a threshing ground in the village and am keen to sell it as soon as possible. Several millers
and agents are roaming in the village to purchase paddy from farmers like me,‖ he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Civil supplies officer Prasant Kumar Gantayat said Odisha State Civil Supply Corporation has
targeted to procure 80,000 tonne paddy from farmers in the first phase. As many as 118 PACS
have been entrusted the task to procure paddy from the farmers. The paddy procured at the
mandis will be handed over to 27 rice mills in the district, he informed.
However, farmers are losing patience. Some from riverside villages in Mahakalapada block too
are eager to sell their produce to small traders since the only means to reach the nearest mandi is
by crossing rivers and creeks. Farmers are unwilling to take the burden and ready to sell their
stock to traders who are keen to buy at a lesser price. ―It is tough for us to transport the paddy
bags on boat by crossing a river and two creeks,‖ said Haripada Das, a farmer of Batighar.
Till date, 41,568 farmers have registered to participate in procurement process. The government
hopes to procure around 1,50,000 tonne paddy from the farmers in the district, Gantayat said.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/dec/10/harvested-paddy-brings-distress-
to-farmers

Rice exporters challenge Indian GI claims on basmati
in EU
KARACHI: Rice exporters have filed a detailed response to European Union (EU) in a Notice of
Opposition against India‘s claim on geographical indicator (GI) of long-grain aromatic Basmati
rice in the EU.
India, last month, had asked the EU to recognise the fragrant, long-grain staple as originating in
seven Indian states and territories, which would give its producers exclusive rights to the basmati
label in the lucrative European market. Pakistan rejects India‘s claim, arguing that its farmers
also grow basmati rice.
―Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has filed a Notice of Opposition on (December
7) against India‘s claim on GI of Basmati in the EU,‖ the association said on Tuesday in a
statement.

―REAP has taken this step on behalf of rice exporters and farmers of Pakistan who are at the risk
of losing a billion-dollars‘ worth of income.‖
Since 2006, the EU has applied zero tariffs on rice imported into the bloc that has been
authenticated by either Pakistani or Indian authorities as genuine basmati.
Pakistan has a thriving industry of export of Basmati, making the country one of the top five
exporters of rice in the world.
REAP said it has previously been involved in developing and revising UK Code of Practice and
arranging trade delegations abroad to foster the export of Basmati from Pakistan.
―India had sought protection of its Basmati as a GI product in EU in a mala fide attempt to deter
Pakistan‘s growing export and appreciation of Basmati.‖
Pakistan‘s export of Basmati to EU has almost doubled in the last five years and it has outpaced
India‘s exports of the same.
The importers and customers in EU appreciate Pakistan‘s Basmati more than that of India due to
its exotic aroma, sweeter taste and soft texture and above all in terms of food safety including
Pesticides which has resulted in increased demand.
Basmati, being a centuries old heritage of Pakistan, could not be allowed to be monopolised by
India in the European market.
―Such a gross misrepresentation by India on the origins of Basmati is an attack on the values of
fair competition among farmers and exporters in EU,‖ the statement said.
Pakistan has a legal right to export Basmati with its original name in accordance with the
practice in EU which is decades old. European importers have also raised their objections against
the Indian stance, and in support of Pakistan.

The statement said REAP is striving for an early legislation on the GI rules in Pakistan along
with the Ministry of Commerce.
―It will enable Pakistan‘s exporters and farmers of Basmati to prevent their product from being
used by the same name in international markets.‖
REAP said n internally registered GI of Basmati will strengthen Pakistan‘s case in the coming
legal stages in the EU.
REAP remains optimist that Pakistan has strong case as EU recognises the country as authentic
basmati growing region. ―The protection of Basmati as Pakistan‘s indigenous product is crucial
to sustain the rice exports, Consequently, REAP is leading the way in this endeavor without any
regards to costs.‖
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/755749-rice-exporters-challenge-indian-gi-claims-on-
basmati-in-eu
Operators Urge FG to Incentivise Farmers to Boost Food
Production
December 10, 2020 12:00 am
By Raheem Akingbolu
Stakeholders in the nation‘s agricultural value chain have advised the federal government to
offer incentives such as mechanised equipment, acquisition and clearing of farmland for farmers
to ease production.
The experts who spoke at the 8th Annual Brand Journalists‘ Association of Nigeria (BJAN)
Brands & Marketing Conference, held recently in Lagos, recently, also cautioned government

against frequent policy somersault like the plan to reopen Nigeria‘s borders, which they argued
would be detrimental to local farmers.
President, Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, Dr Tunji Owoeye,
who commended the effort being made by current administration to further deepen investment in
the agricultural sector, said it would be suicidal for government to reopen the borders without
adequate protection for local farmers.
According to him, the gains of the past few months could be eroded by smugglers who would
flood the market with imported rice, chicken and other food items.
The Deputy Chairman of Lagos State All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sakin Agbeyewa,
who represented the association‘s chairman, Femi Oke, stressed that Nigeria‘s agricultural sector
needs a lot of subsidy, not just in form of cash to farmers but through the provision of a
conducive atmosphere.
He said: ―The subsidy we are calling for is not in form of cash to our members. The subsidy we
want is ready- to- plant lands. By clearing bush for our members, by helping us interface with all
types of land owners who gather to disturb during planting and harvesting period.
―In the northern part, farmers are being prevented from going to farms to harvest their crops by
terrorists that are forcing them to heavy dues for them to access their farms products, subsidy is
also in form of provision of bulldozers for land, swamp-dozers for swampy areas, provision of
food preservers for perishable products,‖
Presenting a paper at the conference, President, Organisation for the Advancement of Cold Chain
in West Africa, (OTACCWA), Tunde Okoya, dwelt extensively on developing a blueprint for a
national cold chain in Nigeria, pointing out that it remained the only key strategy to consolidate
the expansion and growth of agriculture in the country.
―According to FAO, post-harvest loss of many agric product in Nigeria could be as high as 50
per cent so invariably, a lot of production by our farmer goes into waste along the value chain

and that cannot be a very productive way for any country.―So, the result of this is poor earnings
for the farmers, poor nutrition for the children, and poor hygiene for the country. Nigeria is
ranked 98 out of 107 countries in the global hunger index majorly because of this.―The problem
is that, even though we are producing a lot, a large percentage of the production is going into
waste. With an effective cold chain policy, Agriculture in Nigeria will soar to greater heights‖,
Okoya stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture on
Communication, Mr. Richard Mark Mbaram, called on Journalists to hold government
accountable to the citizenry, especially on issues related to government intervention in the
Agricultural sector.The minister‘s aide made reference to the Anchor Borrower Programme
introduced by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which he described as one of the issues which
journalists should bring their interrogative minds to bear. Meanwhile, in a communiqué issued
after the conference the organisers recommended that in joining Africa‘s free trade agreement
(AfCFTA), the Nigerian government should put in place policies that will fully protect local
farmers.
Government was also urged to effectively check banditry, kidnapping and killings especially in
food producing areas to ensure that food insecurity does become worse in the coming years.
The communiqué reads; ―the government at the Centre as well as those in the states, especially
the South-West, should promote economic integration by providing infrastructure to support rice
and other farmers to ensure that production cost is reduced to a manageable level.―A policy that
will deepen insurance in the agricultural sector should be put in place as many insurance
companies in Nigeria deliberately avoid providing insurance coverage for farmers.
―Governments at all levels should ensure that farmers are not excluded from budgetary planning
as this negatively affected the quality of budget and planning for agriculture in the last few
years.‖
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/12/10/operators-urge-fg-to-incentivise-farmers-to-
boost-food-production/

Nigeria: How Kano Is Becoming Country’s Rice
Milling Hub
By ADMIN
With many rice mills springing up in Kano State, coupled with increase in production, the state is
gradually becoming the hub of rice, not only in Nigeria but West Africa.
The recent rice farming activities in Kano have been seen as a record-breaking achievement in
the history of Nigeria, as far as that sector is concerned.
As one of the staple foods in Nigeria, the consumption of rice is said to have increased to 4.7 per
cent, almost four times the global consumption growth.
This triggered a revolution in the sector; hence the increase in rice milling in Kano.
From 2015 to 2020, no fewer than 230 micro, small, medium and large rice mills have emerged.
A lot of the existing ones have also been upgrading their capacities.
In places like Kura, Gezawa, Bunkure, Garun Malam and Tudun Wada local government areas
of the state, it is common to see a cluster of small-scale rice millers doing business.
New mega rice mills with thousands of metric tons per month capacity are also on the increase.
The recent one has a 160-ton-per-day capacity. It is the first mega rice mill owned by a woman
in Kano State.
In the past seven years, the Nigerian government, in collaboration with the Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), boosted the production of rice by according it high priority. In
2017, production got to 3.7million tons.
It was reported that rice milling revolution in Kano started in 2014 when 70,000 farmers were
mapped out to benefit from the year‘s dry season farming programme in the state‘s agricultural
scheme. It was in conjunction with the then Federal Ministry of Agriculture‘s Agricultural
Transformation Agenda (ATA).
It is also believed that the achievement recorded in the production of rice in Kano is a result of
various agricultural policies introduced by the Federal Government. For example, the Anchor
Borrowers Programme (ABP), through various associations, as well as the ATA, encouraged

many people to venture into agriculture, especially dry season rice farming. This resulted in an
increase in the number of rice farmers in the state as demand increased.
With several efforts the Federal Government put in place through the ABP, the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) aggregator scheme, Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for
Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), which is a $500million non-bank financial institution, wholly-
owned by the CBN, among non-governmental interventions, in 2019, Nigeria moved from the
status of the largest importer of rice to being the largest producer of rice (paddy) in Africa, with
an average production volume of 8million metric tons.
It is also on record that as at 2019, Nigeria ranked as the first in Africa and the 14th largest
producer of rice in the world, with China being the top producing country.
According to Iliyasu Nazifi, an engineer and young entrepreneur, in the last five years, rice
production received the boost it had never received in the history of agriculture in Nigeria, which
gave rise to the many milling factories in Kano State. Nazifi is the chief executive officer of the
Golden Star Rice Mill and a member of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN).
It was also said that this achievement wouldn‘t have been possible without the commitment and
support of members and leadership of the RIFAN across all the states in Nigeria.
According to the chairman of the RIFAN in Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Haruna, Nigerians
were initially estimated to have been consuming more than five million metric tons of rice each
year, with a significant portion coming from imports.
He further revealed that demand, which was growing faster than supply, driven by factors like
population growth and urbanisation, actually gave birth to the strategies adopted by the
government to ensure increased production, which would lead to self-sufficiency.
―The development of rice value chain in Nigeria has immeasurably reduced urban-city migration
and youth restiveness as many of the youths are gainfully engaged in agricultural practices,‖
Haruna said.
Also, the treasurer of the RIFAN in the state, Malam Hussaini Shu‘aibu, revealed that the
decision of the Federal Government to close Nigeria‘s land borders against rice importation
created a huge demand and created awareness for more domestic b mills.
It was also revealed that the state‘s rice production capacity increased; hence the establishment
of mills.―Very soon, Kano State will move from being the centre of commerce to that of farming
and processing,‖ Shu‘aibu said.

However, the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture
(KACCIMA) is worried that the state has only recorded industrial boom in rice milling while
other sectors suffer great setback.
According to the first deputy president of the KACCIMA, Ambassador Usman Darma, most
industries in Kano are closed down due to electricity issues and financial challenges associated
with policies of some commercial banks. He added that only few of the industries operate in full
capacity.
―Virtually 85 per cent of industries in Kano are not working. The only expansion so far recorded
is in rice mills, and that is because government policies have been favourable to the operators.
However, with the recent visit by a combined team of the National Assembly and the Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Investment, we are hopeful that the issue would be addressed in due course,‖
he said.
Share this:
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/12/nigeria-how-kano-is-becoming-countrys-rice-milling-hub/
Potential immunity from COVID-19 in sight in
Georgia
The state says the general public could start receiving the vaccine by summer; the pandemic will
remain fierce in the next few months.
Author: Jon Shirek
Published: 11:22 PM EST December 8, 2020
Updated: 11:22 PM EST December 8, 2020
ATLANTA — We now know that in as soon as seven-to-ten days, COVID-19 vaccines may be
in Georgia -- possibly hundreds of thousands of doses, to start, pending FDA approval.
But the state expects that it will still take months before enough doses are available for most
people, at least for those who are willing to get the shots.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey are
warning people, again, that the pandemic will not end overnight as the vaccine slowly begins to
flood the state, and that the risk of the infection spreading will still be dangerous. So, they are
urging everyone to continue to follow all safety precautions.
How many doses of the vaccines will Georgia receive, at first?
Hundreds of thousands of doses, at least.

That amounts to a small percentage of what the state will need, but, the governor said Tuesday,
that's a start.
―We will have a limited number of vaccines in the next week to ten days,‖ Gov. Kemp said.
―The limited amount of vaccine doses we will receive in the coming days will be going to the
most vulnerable (long-term care facilities‘ residents and staffs), and those (health care workers)
in the front lines of fighting COVID-19.‖
How quickly will Georgia receive enough doses for all front-line health care workers?
"Certainly early January, I would think that we would have all health care workers covered,‖ Dr.
Toomey said Tuesday.
What good are the vaccines if people don‘t trust them to be safe?
In Atlanta, Morehouse School of Medicine President Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice is helping
lead a nationwide campaign to reassure African Americans, especially, that the vaccines are safe.
―I know what it has taken to get this vaccine developed,― Dr. Montgomery Rice said. ―We have
had Black scientists, Black clinicians ... who have been involved in the development of the
vaccine... we have been in the room where decisions are being made.‖
And she expects that Black health care workers on the front lines will be among the first in line
for the shots.
―The people who are disproportionately impacted by this virus will also have the opportunity to
receive the vaccine first,‖ she said. ―And we would not ask you to do something that we would
not do ourselves.‖
―We have to reassure everyone that this vaccine is safe, effective, and there‘s good science
behind that,‖ Dr. Toomey told reporters Tuesday. ―I can say, with great enthusiasm, I can‘t wait
to be vaccinated.‖
Gov. Kemp said he, too, will get the shots—and get them right away, he said, if it would help
people feel more comfortable about the vaccines‘ safety, but he said he also doesn‘t want to take
any doses away from front-line health care workers who need them right away.
When will the general public have access to the vaccines in Georgia?
Possibly by the summer, Kemp and Toomey said, meaning -- the threat of infection will remain
well into 2021.
―Until we can vaccinate as many Georgians as possible,‖ Dr. Toomey said, ―we will not have the
level of immunity within this state as a whole to prevent continued spread.‖
The state is advising hospitals and long term care facilities to decide themselves who is most at
risk in their own populations, and then give those people the vaccines first, while waiting for
more doses to arrive.
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/potential-immunity-from-covid-19-in-
sight-in-georgia/85-0f96d37c-7b65-448a-b600-c4467c7e4867
How important is science in the mirror of the epidemic?
CGTN
In the newly released proposal for China's 14th Five-Year Plan, innovation has been placed at
the core of the country's continued modernization. Ability is a key component of innovation,
especially when it omes to scientific research.

Interestingly, many Chinese have dreamed of contributing to scientific research, especially those
born in the 1970s, 80s, and
90s.

Lots of Chinese Dreamed of Becoming Scientists during Childhood
The comments of 61 Chinese citizens who wanted to be scientists as children, most of whom are
now in their 30s, were compiled in a variety of publications, including the MIT Technology
Review. Many used similar words and phrases to describe these early dreams.
These keywords illustrate their life paths up to this point, but what made these children dream of
being scientists in the first place?
At first, they may not have fully understood the way science benefits humanity. Perhaps as
children they thought scientists were remarkable people who could do anything. As they grew
older, the heroic aura that had attracted them faded, and they realized their goal was not to
become scientists, but rather to continue to question, explore and innovate.
Dr. Zhong Nanshan, one of China's most famous pulmonologists, once said that "if we present
scientists as role models, it will help young people to learn to express their ideas, and to ask
'why,' more often."
The dream of being a scientist comes from the general reverence for science in Chinese society.
Science here is never just for scientists, and those who dream of becoming scientists since their
childhood are in many ways the epitome of the Chinese admiration of science.
In 2020, 3M, the U.S. technology and manufacturing company, conducted a survey on attitudes
towards science in more than 10 countries. They found that 88 percent of Chinese believe that
science will make their lives better, 9 percentage points higher than the average level in other
countries surveyed.
Behind the Chinese Science Dream: Revolutionising Daily Life
This belief stems from the revolutionary changes to people's lives wrought by the technologies
derived from science.
Xiang Biao, a professor of Social Anthropology at Oxford University – born in 1972 in
Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province – once recalled that "in 1984, we bought an electric
fan, which was the second electrical device my family owned. It could generate cool air and turn
itself around. The pleasure that brought in the summer transformed our lives."

It isn't always easy to empathize with personal experiences, but data helps make change more
intuitive. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, the rice yield was only 1,890 kg per
hectare and there was an urgent need to increase
production.

While doing some of the first field tests at the Anjiang Agricultural School in Hunan Province,
Yuan Longping, then a young teacher, discovered a natural hybrid rice, with an excellent shape
and large ears, capable of producing more than 160 grains, far exceeding the yield of the
ordinary rice species farmers took at that time.
From that point onward, he researched hybrid rice, continuously seeking to improve its yield. In
2017, the super hybrid rice variety "Xiang Liangyou 900 (Chaoyou 1000)" selected by Yuan's
team produced an average yield of 17,235.3 kg per hectare, setting the world record for the
highest yield, nine times higher than 68 years ago.

In 2020, the double-season hybrid rice yield per hectare exceeded 22,500 kg, and China's per
capita grain production exceeds 470 kg, higher than the internationally recognized safety limit of
400 kg. Hybrid rice accounts for about 50 percent of the 30 million hectares of rice planted in
China.
Disease is the natural enemy of mankind. Trachoma, a chronic infectious inflammation of the
cornea, caused by Chlamydia Trachomatis, was the leading cause of blindness in China before
the 1950s. At the time, China saw a 50 percent rate of trachoma prevalence, and in some rural
areas, the rate was as high as 90 percent. Finding the cause of the disease was therefore vital.
After a series of experiments, Tang Feifan, one of China's first-generation medical virologists
and microbiologists, disproved the trachoma's bacterial etiology, and successfully isolated
Chlamydia Trachomatis. Risking blindness, he conducted experiments on himself to double-
check his findings, which eventually led to a major change in the classification of
microorganisms, added an additional order of Chlamydia and reducing the incidence of trachoma
from nearly 95 percent to 10 percent, promoting the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
trachoma.
Similarly, Tang's work helped China eradicate smallpox, a virulent infectious disease that
plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years, and which claimed the lives of 300 million people in
the 20th century. Using the ether sterilization method he developed, the production of pox
seedlings was increased, allowing China to eradicate smallpox in 1961, 16 years before it was
finally eradicated worldwide.
Public Acceptance of Science Generally Increased After the COVID-19 Pandemic
It is because of scientists that science can benefit the public. Scientific guidance, as well as a
long-standing trust in science, has helped China prevent and control pandemics efficiently.
The COVID-19 pandemic not only validated the importance of science, but also increased public
recognition of science worldwide.
From mid-2019, and mid-2020 – in other words, before and amid the pandemic – 3M conducted
a survey into the public attitudes towards science. They found a general rise in acceptance of the
expression "I trust science"(somewhat agree + completely agree), with 9 percentage points more
Koreans and Germans agreeing with the statement in 2020 than in 2019.

Science is Not Just for
Scientists

It's worth noting that the high recognition of science in China is related to increasing public
scientific literacy. China is also setting national goals to ensure this increase continues. Under the
13th Five-Year Plan, by 2020, the level of public scientific literacy was due to exceed 10
percent. The proposal for the 14th Five-Year Plan includes promoting science and craftsmanship,
increasing the popularity of science as a subject, and creating a national atmosphere that
advocates innovation.

At the same time, a growing number of people are choosing careers in research, to follow their
own dreams of becoming scientists.
As research expands, citations of Chinese researchers are continuing to rise. According to
statistics from the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, as of October 2019,
Chinese scientists had been cited a total of 28,452,300 times between 2009 and 2019, an increase
of 25.2 percent from a time period between 2008 to October 2018. Since 2007, China has ranked
second in the world in terms of citations.

Of course, all of this is inseparable from the investment in popularizing science and scientific
research, which has been increasing year by year. In 2019, China invested 2.17 trillion yuan,
2.19 percent of its GDP in R&D, which was roughly on par with the EU average.

Perhaps not all the children who dreamed of becoming scientists grew up to become scientists.
But such a thing isn't that important. Science is not just for scientists. It is related to the survival
and growth of mankind, and so it has touched the lives of everyone. So perhaps a child did not
grow up to become a scientist, but he or she continued to advocate science, and that is important,
in itself.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-12-09/How-important-is-science-in-the-mirror-of-the-
epidemic--W4GfpBPJNm/index.html

Cabinet body okays imports of rice and fertilisers
The cabinet committee also approved a Chinese-Bangladeshi consortium‘s proposal to set up a
55 MW wind power plant on build-own-operate basis in Mongla
UNB
09 December, 2020, 09:40 pm
Last modified: 09 December, 2020, 09:42 pm
Representational picture. Photo: File Photo
Imports of rice and fertilisers were among 10 proposals approved by the Cabinet Committee on
Public Purchase on Wednesday.
The Food Department's proposal to award a contract to India-based Rika Global Impex Ltd for
supplying 50,000 metric tonnes (MT) of non-Basmati parboiled rice worth USD 20.2175 million
(Tk 171.44 crore) was approved by the committee, headed by Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Anisul Haque.
The Food Department's contract variation proposal to extend the cost of consultant firm —
GERICO France — for supervision of steel silo construction under the Modern Food Storage
Facilities Project (MFSP) also received the committee's nod. Now, the consultant's cost will go
up by an additional Tk 22.53 crore to Tk 44.08 crore from Tk 21.55 crore.
Two proposals placed by the Industries Ministry were also approved by the cabinet panel,
one paving the way for state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to import
25,000 MT of bulk granular urea from Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and
Distribution Company at a total cost of Tk 56.06 crore under a state-level agreement.
BCIC has also been allowed to import 50,000 MT of bulk granular materials from Saudi Basic
Industries Corporation (SABIC) in two separate lots of equal quantity at a total cost of Tk 111.80
crore, officials said.
A tender proposal by the Roads and Highways Department for development of six-lane
Narayangonj Link Road to six lanes also received the committee's nod. A joint venture of
National Development Engineers Limited, Taher Brothers Ltd and Hasan Brothers Ltd has
already been awarded the project worth Tk 364.25 crore.
The Narayangonj Link Road (Signboard-Chasara) project involves construction of flexible
pavement, rigid pavement, three foot bridges, service lanes, bus bays, U-turns and drains with
footpaths. The project will be implemented by Road Division Narayangonj during the year 2020-
2021.

Three proposals of the Shipping Ministry were also cleared by the committee, with one allowing
the Mongla Port Authority to award a contract to a private firm to conduct dredging work and
other relevant work at the inner channel of the port at a cost of Tk 726.10 crore.
The clearance of the second proposal by the same ministry has paved the way for the Bangladesh
Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to award a contract to Netherlands-based PLM
Crane to supply a pontoon-mounted grab dredger with dredge-material carrying barges at a cost
of Tk 206.73 crore.
BIWTA has also been permitted to award another contract to two firms— JFMC and Anando
Shipyard & Slipways Ltd -- to supply multi-purpose inspection vessels at a cost of Tk 60.10
crore and Tk 50.67 crore, respectively, officials said.
The cabinet committee also approved a Chinese-Bangladeshi consortium's proposal to set up a
55 MW wind power plant on build-own-operate basis in Mongla.
As per the proposal, the Consortium of Envision Energy, (Jiangsu) Co Ltd, China, SQ Trading
and Engineering, Bangladesh, and Envision Renewable Energy Limited, Hong Kong, will set up
the plant under a 20- year contract with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
The state-owned BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at USD 13.20 cent, equivalent to
Tk 10.56, per kilowatt hour (each unit) over the period of 20 years.
"As a result, the government will pay a total of Tk 2035.12 crore for the entire contract period
against its purchase of electricity from the maiden private wind power project," said Saleh
Ahmed, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, while briefing on the meeting.
However, four proposals of Power Division — one for renewal of 53 MW gas-fired rental power
plant, one for setting up a 50 MW solar power plant in private sector and two for procurement of
submarine cables for rural electrification — failed to get the nod of the committee.
A proposal of Chattagram Port for procurement of four gantry cranes was also rejected by the
committee.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also rejected a proposal of the
Roads and Highways Department on widening of Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Demra highway
under public-private partnership (PPP) on the ground of "inadequate supporting documents".
https://tbsnews.net/bangladesh/cabinet-body-okays-imports-rice-fertilisers-169621
Cabinet committee okays 50,000-ton rice import from
India

Tribune Desk
Published at 08:19 pm December 9th, 2020
The decision was taken at the 34th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government
Purchase

The Bangladesh government has given the nod for procuring 50,000 metric tons of non-
basmati rice from India.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) has approved the proposal to
purchase the non-basmati rice under Package 2 of FY2020-21 through an international
tender, reports Bangla Tribune.
The Food Department‘s contract variation proposal to extend the cost of consultation firm
– GERICO France – for the supervision of steel silo construction under the Modern Food
Storage Facilities Project (MFSP) also received the committee's nod.
Now, the consultant‘s cost will go up by an additional Tk22.53 crore to Tk44.08 crore
from Tk21.55 crore, reports UNB.
The decisions were taken at the 34th meeting of the CCGP this year, held virtually with
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Dr
Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said rice would be imported from the supplier M/S Rika
Global Impex Limited at a cost of $20,217,500 or around Tk171.44 crore, reports BSS.
He said the price per ton of rice would be $404.35 while per kilogram of rice would cost
Tk34.28.
These 50,000 metric tons of rice will be imported through Mongla and Chittagong ports
on a 60:40 ratio.
Despite having a relatively good domestic cereal year in the Covid-19 pandemic period,
the government has been required to go for the import largely because of the food
directorate‘s failure in buying paddy from farmers and not replenishing food reserves in
time.
Meanwhile, two proposals placed by the Industries Ministry were also approved by the
cabinet panel, one paving the way for state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries
Corporation (BCIC) to import 25,000 MT of bulk granular urea from Qatar Chemical and

Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company at a total cost of Tk56.06 crore
under a state-level agreement.
BCIC has also been allowed to import 50,000 MT of bulk granular materials from Saudi
Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in two separate lots of equal quantity at a total cost
of Tk111.80 crore, officials added.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2020/12/09/cabinet-committee-okays-50-000-
ton-rice-import-from-indiaBangladesh to buy another 50,000 tonnes of rice from Indian
supplier
Bangladesh to buy another 50,000 tonnes of rice from
Indian supplier
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 09 Dec 2020 04:48 PM BdST Updated: 09 Dec 2020 04:48 PM BdS
The government has given the go-ahead to a proposal to import another 50,000 tonnes of
non-basmati parboiled rice from an Indian supplier.

Additional Cabinet Secretary Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal announced the purchase in a virtual
briefing after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday.
Law Minister Anisul Huq chaired the meeting as Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is
currently abroad.
Mumbai-based Rika Global Impex Ltd became the lowest bidder to supply the rice at $404.35
per tonne or Tk 34.28 per kg.
On Dec 2, the government approved a proposal to import 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati
parboiled rice from India. The lowest bidder to supply that lot was PK Agri Link Pvt Ltd of West
Bengal.
https://bdnews24.com/business/2020/12/09/bangladesh-to-buy-another-50000-tonnes-of-rice-
from-indian-supplier
Indian farmers to step up protests, reject tweaks on
new farm laws
by Reuters
Wednesday, 9 December 2020 13:36 GMT
We explore the challenges of ending hunger and malnutrition as food production adjusts to a
warming world
(Recasts, adds farmers' reaction to govt plans)
By Rupam Jain and Manoj Kumar
New Delhi, Dec 9 (Reuters) - India's farmers on Wednesday rejected the government's proposal
to amend three controversial laws and said they would step up protests seeking withdrawal of
these laws which they said would harm their economic interests while helping big food
retailers.Farmers have been demonstrating since late last month over reforms enacted in

September that loosened rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce, that had
protected farmers from an unfettered free market for decades.
"The farmers have rejected the government's proposals," Darshan Pal, president of Krantikari
Kisan Union, told reporters after the meeting of over 30 farmers' unions.
Farmers leaders said they would intensify nationwide protests from Saturday that would include
boycott of the leaders of Modi's ruling party, blocking of national highways and picketing at toll
plazas.
Expressing their anger towards some large domestic corporations and retailers, including
Reliance Industries and Adani Enterprises, farmer leaders said they would boycott the products
and services of these companies.
There was no immediate comment from both the companies.
The majority of farmers believes the news laws could pave the way for some of India's leading
corporations to enter the Indian agriculture trade, leaders said.
In a separate statement, Adani Group said the company had no role in the direct purchase or sale
of the farm produce, and was only hired by the government agencies for storage of the produce.
Earlier, Indian government officials looked for ways to tweak new laws liberalising the
agricultural sector, after they put off a second day of talks with farmer organisations that have
mobilised mass protests.
Small growers, in particular, fear that they will be at the mercy of big business if they are no
longer assured of floor prices for staples such as wheat and rice sold at government-controlled
wholesale markets.

Unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's liberalisation, farmers have set up protest camps
and blocked roads surrounding the capital New Delhi, and on Tuesday mounted a nationwide
strike.
Farmer leaders want the government to retain mandatory government purchases, and said buyers
at private markets should pay the same tax as at state-run markets.
The protests, led by influential farming groups from the grain-producing states of Haryana and
Punjab, pose a major challenge to Modi as he seeks to reform the vast agriculture sector, which
makes up nearly 15% of India's $2.9 trillion economy and employs around half of its 1.3 billion
people.
Opposition parties criticised the reforms, saying they would benefit big business and be
disastrous for the rural economy, and met President Ram Nath Kovind, the country's ceremonial
head of state, urging him to ask the government to accept farmers' demands.
(Additional reporting by Nigam Prusthy Mayank Bhardwaj, Sankalp Phartiyal, Neha Arora;
Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Bernadette Baum)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://news.trust.org/item/20201209123909-22lk9/
Pakistani rice exporters challenge Indian claim over
basmati in EU
Flies sit on rice being sold in a market in Karachi. Photo: AFP
KARACHI: Pakistani exporters have filed a "detailed response‖ to the European Union in a
Notice of Opposition against the Indian claim over the geographical indicator (GI) tag of
Basmati rice in the bloc.

Last month, India had asked the EU to recognise the fragrant, long-grain staple as
originating in seven Indian states and territories, which would give its producers exclusive
rights to the Basmati label in the lucrative European
market.
Pakistan rejected India‘s claim, arguing that its farmers also grow Basmati rice.
―Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan [REAP] has filed a Notice of Opposition on
(December 7) against India‘s claim on GI of Basmati in the EU,‖ the association said on
Tuesday in a statement.
―REAP has taken this step on behalf of rice exporters and farmers of Pakistan who are at
the risk of losing a billion-dollars‘ worth of income,‖ the statement read, according to a
report byThe News.
Since 2006, the EU has applied zero tariffs on rice imported into the bloc that has been
authenticated by either Pakistani or Indian authorities as genuine Basmati.
Pakistan has a thriving export industry of Basmati, making the country one of the top five
exporters of rice in the world.

REAP said it has previously been involved in developing and revising the UK Code of
Practice and arranging trade delegations abroad to foster the export of Basmati from
Pakistan.
―India had sought the protection of its Basmati as a GI product in the EU in a mala fide
attempt to deter Pakistan‘s growing export and appreciation of Basmati.‖
Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood confirmed that Pakistan has filed its claim and
assured exporters that the government will support their stance.
―I wish to inform that Pakistan has filed its opposition against the Indian application to
European Commission for granting exclusive rights on the use of Basmati for its rice
exports to European Union. We assure the rice community that we will defend our case with
due diligence and commitment," he wrote on Twitter.
‘EU importers favour Pakistani rice’
Pakistan‘s export of Basmati to EU has almost doubled in the last five years and it has
outpaced India‘s exports of it.
The importers and customers in the EU appreciate Pakistan‘s Basmati more than that of
India due to its exotic aroma, sweeter taste and soft texture and above all in terms of food
safety including pesticides which has resulted in increased demand.
Basmati, being a centuries-old heritage of Pakistan, could not be allowed to be monopolised
by India in the European market.
―Such a gross misrepresentation by India on the origins of Basmati is an attack on the values
of fair competition among farmers and exporters in EU,‖ the statement added.Pakistan has a
legal right to export Basmati with its original name in accordance with the practice in the
EU which is decades old. The European importers have also raised their objections against
the Indian stance, and in support of Pakistan.
The statement said REAP is striving for an early legislation on the GI rules in Pakistan
along with the Ministry of Commerce.

―It will enable Pakistan‘s exporters and farmers of Basmati to prevent their product from
being used by the same name in international markets.‖REAP said an internally registered
GI of Basmati will strengthen Pakistan‘s case in the coming legal stages in the EU.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/323141-pakistani-rice-exporters-challenge-indian-basmati-claim-in-eu
Bangladesh to import 50,000 tonne rice from India
Aman growers to be losers: experts
Staff Correspondent | Published: 23:29, Dec 09,2020 | Updated: 23:52, Dec 09,2020
The government is importing 50,000 tonnes more rice from India amid the peak aman
harvesting season.
On Wednesday, the cabinet committee on national purchases approved the acquisition of 50,000
tonnes of rice at a cost of Tk 171.43 crore, said additional secretary Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal of
the Cabinet Division.
A Mumbai-based company would supply the rice against the international tenders floated by the
Directorate General of Food under the ministry of food.
This was the second import order in the space of a week after the first import order for procuring
the same quantity of 50,000 tonnes rice, also from India, was approved on December 2.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has estimated that farmers are selling a kilogram of aman
paddy for Tk 22 in many northern areas such as Kurigram while the government is procuring
only 2 lakh tonnes of aman paddy at Tk 26 per kilogram from farmers.
The Department of Agricultural Extension calculated that farmers spent more than Tk 27 for
producing a kilogram of paddy this year after the recent floods had destroyed many of their rice
fields multiple times.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute‘s agricultural economist Abdur Rouf Sarkar said that the
market price might fall by Tk 2.5 per kilogram because of rice imports.
On December 2, director general Sarwar Mahmud of the Directorate General of Food said that
more than two lakh tonnes of rice would be imported to boost the depleted food stocks.
The government collected only 0.94 million tonnes of boro rice against a 1.95 million tonnes
target in the boro procurement season against a comfortable stock of 1.3 million tonnes.

Dhaka University department of development studies professor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on
Wednesday said that the government was resorting to rice import when the farmers were not
getting a fair price for their yields.
He said that the imports exposed the chronic weakness in the food management plans of the
government which is only benefitting vested quarters.
The imports also look impractical in the face of the government‘s goal to attain self-sufficiency
in food production.
Former professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University Abdul Bayes has also stated that
growers were put in a difficult situation as millers were not giving them fair price while the
government is now resorting to import of the staple.
The purchases committee, chaired by law minister Anisul Huq, in the absence of finance minister
AHM Mustafa Kamal, also approved other proposals including purchase of fertiliser, electrical
cable and dredging boats.
The committee approved procurement of 25,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea at Tk 56.6 crore
from Muntajat of Qatar under a state-to-state arrangement.
It also approved import of 50,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea at Tk 118 crore in two lots from
SABIC of Saudi Arabia, also under a state-to-state arrangement.
A consortium led by Taher Brothers Co Ltd won the contract of upgrading a link road that
stretches between Signboard and Chasara in Narayanganj into six lanes quoting Tk 364.25 crore.
Abu Saleh said that the committee approved three proposals from the ministry of shipping
including dredging of the Mongla port Tk 726.10 crore.
PLM Cranes BV of the Netherlands will supply one vessel with dredgers at a cost of Tk 200.73
crore under a project of procuring 35 dredgers, ancillary river vessels, equipment and the
construction of necessary infrastructures.
JFMC Dockyard Limited and Ananda Shipyard and Slipway Limited will supply multipurpose
inspection vessels at a cost of Tk 60.10 crore in the first lot and the second lot at Tk 50.67 crore
under the project titled ‗Bangladesh Regional Internal Shipping Project-1.
The committee also approved a proposal or amending a contract with GERICO France, the
supervision consultant of the Modern Food Storage Facilities Project, at a total cost Tk 44.09
crore.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/123904/bangladesh-to-import-50000-tonne-rice-from-india

BiotechJP sets up PHL shop for RTE rice
ByCai Ordinario
December 10, 2020
NationCai Ordinario -December 10, 2020
A JAPANESE firm has set up shop in the Philippines to manufacture packed and
ready-to-eat rice for Covid-19 and other emergencies, according to the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
In a statement, Jica said BiotechJp Corp. (BTJP) is using low-protein rice technology
and established a factory in Tarlac. Jica said this was made possible by its partnership
with private firms which aim to share innovations to address development problems in
other countries.

―There are 73 projects which have been implemented with Philippine counterparts to
help create jobs and find solutions to common problems in the country, while
expanding their business. It‘s a win-win relationship,‖ Jica Philippines Senior
Representative Ohshima Ayumu said.
Jica supported BTJP in introducing low-protein rice technology in the Philippines to
address the growing cases of chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) in the country.
The low-protein rice technology helps delay progression of CKD and consequently
reduces the costs of medical treatments of patients.
The technology is also able to bring benefits to Filipino farmers by adding value to
their rice products, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
―For markets like Japan, the pandemic prompted an increase for packed rice products
which is also fueled by consumers resorting to online platforms for convenience and
safety.‖ said Egawa Kiyosada, President of BTJP.
The factory has a daily production capacity of 20,000 rice packs and will help BTJP
meet the demand of a growing market for packed rice.
Apart from the low-protein rice, BTJP has also introduced other variants such as
ready-to-eat packed rice with a one-year shelf life that makes it ideal for emergency
situations.
The BTJP project in Tarlac is part of the Rice Revolution 21 program that aims to
develop the province‘s rice supply chain and is also a partnership with the Yuchengco
Group, PhilRice, and Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).
This year, back-to-back typhoons and torrential rains left thousands of Filipinos in
Bicol, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cagayan, Isabela, and other parts of the country without
access to basic goods, relying on stocked food supplies and emergency relief
packages.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/12/10/biotechjp-sets-up-phl-shop-for-rte-rice/
Solar Philippines targeting 1,000-MW solar
installations
Published December 10, 2020, 6:00 AM
by Myrna M. Velasco
Filipino-founded Solar Philippines is targeting to advance the construction of more than
1,000 megawatts of solar farm installations next year in at least four provinces within the
Luzon grid.
Currently identified sites for the projects are in Batangas, Cavite, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac,
according to a statement issued by the company to the media.
Solar Philippines said the programmed projects will be its next round of investments – and
come 2022, it envisions these solar farms ―to become the largest single portfolio of solar
projects in Southeast Asia.‖
Solar Philippines is expanding its solar farm in Concepcion, Tarlac to 200 MW by 2021, making
it larger than any solar project completed in the Philippines to date.
The company is currently at its ―dressing up the bride phase‖ because of its targeted initial
public offering (IPO) at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), an exercise that it stipulated
in its earlier press statements.
―The 1.0-gigawatt (GW) of solar projects are planned to create over 20,000 jobs during
construction, which will last until 2022, and support government efforts to boost
investments in the countryside,‖ the company stressed.
To advance the pipelined projects to implementation phases, the Filipino firm emphasized
―it is bringing in partners and professionals in line with its new strategic direction.‖
The company said it can leverage on parallel joint venture deals, similar to what it already
signed

up on for its earlier solar farm developments in Calatagan, Batangas and
Concepcion, Tarlac.
Solar Philippines acknowledged that project implementations had been snagged by the
Covid-19 pandemic, but it looks forward to 2021 when capital injection and construction
activities can finally accelerate.
―While Covid-19 slowed approval of permits in 2020…it expects a renewable energy-led
economic recovery in 2021 spurred by the DOE‘s (Department of Energy) moratorium on
new
coal plants in the Philippines,‖ Solar Philippines stated.
When the greenfield solar developments will finally reach commercial stream, the company
said these will ―nearly double the country‘s total installed solar capacity as of 2020, and are
equivalent to the power demand of approximately 10 million Filipinos.‖

No definitive statement given on the capacity off-take for the generated electricity of the
plants, but next year is also the implementation year of the Renewable Portfolio Standards
(RPS) for the renewable energy (RE) sector; which can then provide a market for new RE
projects. (MMV)
Japanese firm finds niche in ready-to-eat rice for changing lifestyle
A Japanese company said demand for ready-to-eat and pre-cooked rice will likely grow
because of the changes in people‘s lifestyle brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and
frequent natural disasters.
BiotechJp Corp (BTJP), a manufacturer of packed rice using low-protein rice technology,
has established a new factory in the Philippines in Tarlac Province.The factory has a daily
production capacity of 20,000 rice packs and will help BTJP meet the demand of a growing
market for packed rice.
―For markets like Japan, the pandemic prompted an increase for packed rice products which
is also fueled by consumers resorting to online platforms for convenience and safety.‖ said
Mr. EGAWA Kiyosada, President of BTJP.
Under its Partnership with the Private Sector scheme, JICA supported BTJP in introducing
low-protein rice technology in the Philippines to address the growing cases of chronic
kidney diseases (CKDs) in the country. The low-protein rice technology helps delay
progression of CKD and consequently reduces the costs of medical treatments of patients.
The technology is also able to bring benefits to Filipino farmers by adding value to their rice
products, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Apart from the low-protein rice, BTJP has also introduced other variants such as ready-to-
eat packed rice with a one-year shelf life that makes it ideal for emergency situations.
This year, back-to-back typhoons and torrential rains left thousands of Filipinos in Bicol,
Metro Manila,
Rizal, Cagayan, Isabela, and other parts of the country without access to basic goods,
relying on stocked food supplies and emergency relief packages.

―The JICA Partnership with the Private Sector initiative was intended to share innovations
from Japanese companies to help address development problems in our partner countries,‖
said JICA Philippines Senior Representative OHSHIMA Ayumu. ―There are 73projects
which have beenimplemented with Philippine counterparts to help create jobs and find
solutions to common problems in the country, while expanding their business. It‘s a win-
win relationship.‖
The BTJP project in Tarlac is part of the Rice Revolution 21 program that aims to develop
the province‘s rice supply chain and is also a partnership with the Yuchengco Group,
PhilRice, and Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research
Institute (DOST-FNRI).
The JICA Partnership with the Private Sector scheme began in 2012 and has been
supporting technology transfer, human resource development, and job creation in different
parts of the Philippines. The scheme covers areas such as environment, agriculture, disaster
management, education, and welfare.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/12/10/solar-philippines-targeting-1000-mw-solar-installations/
Yogi to inaugurate mega webinar on Purvanchal
development
Source : IANS
Author : IANS
Last Updated: Thu, Dec 10th, 2020, 09:42:04hrs
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 10 (IANS) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate a
three-day mega seminar-cum-webinar on the development of Purvanchal at Deeksha Bhawan of
Deendayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University on Thursday evening.
The event is jointly organized by DDU Gorakhpur University and the Planning Department of
the Uttar Pradesh government, under the banner of the Purvanchal Development Board.
More than 300 scholars from across the country and the world will participate in brainstorming
sessions on the challenges being faced by 28 districts of Purvanchal region.
They will prepare a blueprint of the development plan for the region.

According to the government spokesman, "The mega seminar will cover five important sectors,
including primary sector, manufacturing sector, service sector, social sector and water sector.
Nine technical sessions will be held on each sector".
There will be a total of 45 sessions in which experts, academicians, and policymakers from India
and across the world will take part.
Stakeholders from every field will deliberate for three days from December 10 to 12, to prepare a
roadmap for the expeditious progress of eastern Uttar Pradesh comprising 28 districts and a large
population.
With over 250 research papers from across the world already reached in advance, participation of
NRIs from the US, Europe, Australia and other countries, a battery of development experts is
expected.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath initiated the idea of this brainstorming event at
Gorakhpur in order to ensure the development of Purvanchal.
Yogi Adityanath will be present in the inaugural session of the seminar based on 'Development
of Purvanchal: Issues, Strategy and Future Directions'.
He will also address the programme, organized with doctors at the AIIMS, Gorakhpur campus on
the same day, with a thrust area of healthy Purvanchal which emanated from the fact that his
personal efforts rid this region of deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) since during last three years.
K.V. Raju, the economic advisor of the Chief Minister, is looking after the whole event. He said
this is the first of its kind event in 50 years which is focused on the development of this region,
which remained neglected for years.
The seminar will also be attended by state ministers, top officials, head of departments, and
representatives of various government and non-government organizations (NGOs).
He said the way and means will be evolved during the seminar as how to eradicate poverty,
diseases, unemployment, and illiteracy from the region and also stop migration by providing the
desired employment to the youth of the state.
Several departments, including agriculture, agricultural marketing, food processing, fish and
fisheries, forest and wildlife, infrastructural and industrial development, MSME, export
promotion, handloom and textile, energy, housing and urban planning, Panchayati Raj, revenue,
information technology and electronics, tourism and others will also take part in the seminar.
Ministers related to these departments will also be present on the occasion, making it one the
biggest congregations of the ministers in recent months.
All senior officials will be attending the event.

The major institutions including the International Rice Research Institute, Agricultural
Universities, Research and Development Institutes, Non-Government Organizations, Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Information Technology and tourism firms,
cultural Organizations, UNICEF, and other prominent organizations will also be participating in
the seminar.
https://www.sify.com/news/yogi-to-inaugurate-mega-webinar-on-purvanchal-development-
news-national-umke
Industry-led workforce development paving the way
for state growth
BUSINESSOPINIONTALK POLITICS
by Chris Caldwell (chairman@dra.gov)
One of the major reasons America is the world‘s economic superpower is our ability to move
goods and services cheaper and faster than any other nation in the world.
Arkansas, which sits geographically and logistically in the epicenter of this great strength, is
poised to grow. With the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System running from
Arkansas‘ western border and into the Mississippi River, Arkansas ports open each day to ship
and receive cargo of rice, soybeans, electrical machinery, steel, and other agricultural products,
manufacturing goods, and raw materials.
Arkansas is also at the crossroads of America‘s interstate system, with Interstate 40 and
Interstate 30 bridging the Heartland and heavily populated East Coast corridor with Texas and
roads leading farther west. The access to freight rail lines at points of entry throughout Arkansas
complete the transportation logistics trifecta, allowing commerce to move to and from the state
with ease.
Investing in our infrastructure not only helps attract new industries and manufacturers to the
state, but also enhances existing supply lines for commodity producers and retailers like Wal-
Mart, Dillard‘s, Tyson Foods, and Riceland that have proudly called Arkansas home for years.
This summer‘s groundbreaking at the Port of Little Rock will bring CZ-USA, HMS
Manufacturing Co., and Amazon to the state, adding an estimated 1,500 jobs to the Arkansas
workforce. In Mississippi County, three steel mills make it one of the largest steel-producing
counties in the United States.

While Arkansas is poised for job growth, all of these companies would suffer if not for the most
important infrastructure investment: our human capital. Investing in the human capital necessary
to strengthen Arkansas‘ workforce means equipping the next generation of skilled workers with
industry-led workforce development.
In November, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) announced a $1.6 million investment in 13
workforce initiatives across the Delta region, including two initiatives in Arkansas. The first,
Restore Hope Inc., is a recovery-to-work program in White County that will train individuals
affected by substance abuse for high-demand careers in the metal fabrication industry. The
second is Southeast Arkansas College‘s certificate program in Supply Chain Transportation
Technology to fill the demand for commercial truck drivers.
Additional Arkansas colleges have received similar funding, such as Arkansas Northeastern
College, Black River Technical College, Ozarka College, and Southern Arkansas University
Tech. These programs are committed to building a skilled workforce in Arkansas by
collaborating with industry partners to develop industry-driven innovative strategies.
Emphasizing ―industry-driven‖ in workforce development is important – it means creating
curriculua specific to the needs of individual companies while providing certification and quicker
entry into high-demand careers than more traditional educational tracks offer.
Perhaps most importantly is the outcome these initiatives provide to individuals. Many industry
partners offer apprenticeships by which students can earn while they learn. By completing an
industry-led workforce development program, individuals learn a skilled trade in a high-demand
field and leave school with a career they can build upon, often times ending generational
poverty. While touring Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC) this summer, I met a man who
months prior had been homeless. He entered the ANC program while living at a homeless shelter
and left the program weeks later as a certified welder with a job, a home, and the ability and
motivation to continue his education at night to earn his associate degree.From its fertile lands to
its geographic goldmine of waterways and interstates, Arkansas has all the resources and
infrastructure necessary for companies to succeed at every part of the supply chain. By investing
in industry-led workforce development, Arkansas‘ human capital is primed to be its greatest
resource to attract new business, grow existing business, and change the economic trajectory of
Arkansans for generations. Editor’s note: Chris Caldwell is the Federal Co-Chairman of the
Delta Regional Authority. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
https://talkbusiness.net/2020/12/industry-led-workforce-development-paving-the-way-for-state-growth/

10th december,2020 daily global regional local rice e newsltter

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