18th october ,2018 daily global regional local rice e newlsetter

1 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m ,
m u j a h i d . r i c e p l u s @ g m a i l . c o m
October 18 ,2018
Vol 9 ,Issue 10

Loss of a microRNA molecule boosts rice production
Loss of a microRNA molecule has striking effects on several yield-related traits in indica
rice
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT BIOLOGISTS
The wild rice consumed by our Neolithic ancestors was very different from the domesticated rice
eaten today. Although it is unclear when humans first started farming rice, the oldest paddy
fields--in the lower Yangzi River Valley--date back to 4000 BC. During its long history of
cultivation, rice plants with traits that reduce yield or impede harvest (e.g., grain shattering) were
weeded out, whereas those with traits that increase yield (e.g., highly branched flowering
structures) were selected and propagated. Although the resulting rice plants are super-producers
that feed much of the world's population, they rely on human assistance and cannot withstand
harsh environmental conditions.
Scientists can examine the genetic basis for some of the changes that took place during rice
domestication by comparing genes in cultivated rice plants with those in their wild rice relatives.
Using this approach, several key genes that were altered during domestication, such as those
affecting grain shattering, have been identified and studied. Most of these genes encode
transcription factors that bind to other genes and regulate their activity.
A team of researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research in India led by Dr. P.V. Shivaprasad wondered whether another type of
molecular regulator, named microRNAs, also contributed to the domestication of rice.
MicroRNAs regulate specific target genes by binding to RNA copies of the gene and, together
with other molecules, blocking their activity or chopping them into tiny fragments. In special
cases, the resulting RNA fragments trigger a silencing cascade, shutting down the activity of
genes that are similar to the initial target gene.
The researchers compared the microRNA populations of high-yielding indica rice lines with
those of wild rice and several traditional rice varieties. One microRNA species stood out:
miR397 accumulated to high levels in the flag leaves of wild rice, but was barely detectable in
the other plants analyzed. The scientists showed that miR397 silenced several members of the
laccase gene family via a silencing cascade. Laccase genes, of which there are 30 in the rice
genome, encode proteins that promote woody tissue formation, thereby providing mechanical
strength. By silencing a subset of these genes, miR397 greatly reduced the formation of woody

tissue. Furthermore, when the scientists transgenically expressed the gene encoding miR397 in
domesticated rice, the resulting plants were more similar to wild rice plants than to domesticated
ones, with long, spindly stems; narrow, short leaves; few flowering structures; and hardly any
rice grains. In effect, the team partially de-domesticated rice by increasing the levels of a single
microRNA species.
These findings raise intriguing questions. If silencing several laccase genes by increasing
miR397 levels negatively affects yield, would upregulating the expression of this same set of
laccase genes boost grain production? In addition, would reducing the levels of miR397 in wild
rice plants, and thereby lifting the repression of the laccase genes, improve yields, while
retaining the traits that allow wild plants to thrive in harsh environments? "miR397 and laccase
genes overlap with unknown genomic regions predicted to be involved in rice yield. Modifying
their expression in wild species and cultivated rice would be useful in improving yield and other
beneficial characters. We hope that our finding promotes future research to identify other
changes associated with domestication of plants, spearheading further improvement in crops for
the future," states Dr. Shivaprasad.
###
Author:
Kathleen L. Farquharson, PhD kfarquharson@aspb.org
Science Editor, The Plant Cell
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/asop-loa101218.php
Deal inked to secure world's rice crops
Evolutionary biologist Ruaraidh Sackville-Hamilton, who manages the gene bank of the International Rice
Research Institute, checking samples of rice stored in packets at the gene-bank facility in Los Banos in the
Philippines.PHOTO: INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
PUBLISHED
OCT 17, 2018, 5:00 AM SGT
Crop Trust to pump $1.9m a year into repository of 136,000 varieties of
the grain
Jose Hong

The grain that feeds half the world has been given a boost to ensure it never dies
out.
Almost $2 million each year will be pumped into a rice repository - a genetic treasure trove of
136,000 rice varieties - to conserve and distribute them to the countries that depend on rice.
At a time when harvests have plateaued and there are more mouths than ever to feed, research
into the different grains could produce super rice which can thrive in the harsher weather brought
about by climate change.
Crop Trust, the Germany-based international organisation whose mission is to ensure the
survival of plants the world feeds on, will fund the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) to
the tune of US$1.4 million (S$1.9 million) a year.
While funding goals will be revised every five years, Crop Trust has said it will permanently
bankroll the endeavour.
Irri is an international organisation dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice
science. It holds the genes of 136,000 types of rice in Los Banos in the Philippines.

The two bodies met at Marina Bay Sands to sign the agreement on World Food Day yesterday,
during the 5th International Rice Congress.
From next year to 2023, Crop Trust's funding will be used to cover the rice institute's essential
operations, including the conservation, regeneration and distribution of its cultivated and wild
seed collections.
Crop Trust executive director Marie Haga said: "This is a landmark moment for Irri and for Crop
Trust. At a time when many donors have increasingly complex demands on their resources, it's
important that the world's crop collections are safe, secure, and the gene banks functioning
effectively."
The issue of climate change and its impact on rice is evident, say experts.
In order to prevent catastrophes, including falling crop yields, deadlier weather extremes, habitat
loss and ever higher sea levels, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that deep
emission cuts are needed before 2030.
On Oct 8, the United Nations' climate panel released a report pointing out that the world needs to
lower its global warming limit from 2 deg C to 1.5 deg C. One of its coordinating lead authors
argued that the effects of climate change would be exponentially more dramatic above 1.5 deg C.
Scientists worldwide have been using the seeds stored at the rice institute's high-tech facility in
Los Banos to develop improved rice varieties that can withstand the impact of climate change
while keeping pace with the growing world population.
The institute's scientists have already used rice samples in the bank to develop varieties capable
of handling drought and flooding, which are threatening production in key rice-producing
regions in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China.
A particularly exciting variety is called "scuba rice". It can withstand flooding for up to two
weeks, unlike most rice varieties which die within days of being submerged under water. This
scuba rice variety is currently being grown by five million farmers in Indonesia, the Philippines,
India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Laos. Researchers are adapting scuba rice for Africa as well.
Evolutionary biologist Ruaraidh Sackville-Hamilton, who manages the rice institute's gene bank,
said: "Everyone in South-east Asia will benefit from this, as it ensures that rice can continue to
be improved and adapted to meet local nutritional needs of our growing population, despite the
challenges of climate change.
"With this collection safely conserved, we can continue to use it to develop improved rice
varieties that farmers can use to respond to the challenges in rice production, and to adapt to the
changing tastes and preferences of consumers everywhere."
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/deal-inked-to-secure-worlds-rice-crops

UF/IFAS-led Study May Lead to More Heat-Tolerant Rice
Article ID: 702329
Released: 17-Oct-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Source Newsroom: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Credit: UF/IFAS
Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, led a recent study
in which researchers discovered DNA markers associated with heat tolerance that may
lead to a more heat-tolerant rice variety.
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CITATIONS
Frontiers in Plant Science
CHANNELS
Agriculture, Food Science, Plants, All Journal News
Newswise — GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Rice, the most widely consumed food crop in the world,
takes a beating in hot weather. To combat the high temperatures, a global group of scientists, led
by a University of Florida researcher, has found the genetic basis to breed a more heat-tolerant
rice cultivar.

―The productivity of rice, one of the three major cereal grains feeding the world, is often affected
by temperature extremes, especially higher-than-optimal temperatures,‖ said Bala
Rathinasabapathi, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences.
Temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius, or just under 90 degrees Fahrenheit, can damage rice,
according to multiple studies performed in rice-growing regions of the world.
Nearly 90 percent of the world‘s rice is produced and consumed in Asia, according to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In the U.S., rice grows mainly in Arkansas,
California, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. Some rice also grows in Florida.
Rathinasabapathi led a recent study in which researchers discovered DNA markers associated
with heat tolerance that may lead to a more heat-tolerant rice variety. He explained the use of
DNA markers like this: Just as police can identify people by their fingerprints, scientists identify
genes they‘re interested in by DNA variations that are closely associated with the genes.
Scientists usually find DNA markers very close to the genes of interest. They call these
―candidate genes,‖ Rathinasabapathi said. Thus, plant breeders can select plants containing the
desired combination of DNA markers to efficiently identify plants with desirable genes and
characteristics controlled by those genes.
That‘s the process scientists used in the new study. They studied a population of rice plants
derived by crossing a variety from India called ‗Nagina 22‘ with another line called ‗IR64,‘ a
variety developed by the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, using
conventional breeding methods.
‗Nagina 22‘ grows better and thus produces more rice than other varieties, even under extreme
heat, Rathinasabapathi said. But the quality of the rice is not as high as some varieties, including
‗IR64,‘ he said.
A future research goal would be to use the DNA markers generated in this study to select for
‗Nagina 22‘ candidate genes for heat tolerance, combined with other traits from ‗IR64‘ into one
variety, he said.
Newton Kilasi, a former UF/IFAS doctoral student, Eduardo Vallejos, a UF/IFAS associate
professor and Jugpreet Singh, a former UF/IFAS post-doctoral researcher – all in horticultural
sciences -- were among the scientists who helped Rathinasabapathi with the new study. The
research is published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science.
-30-
By: Brad Buck, 352-294-3303, bradbuck@ufl.edu

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is to
develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that
knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen
research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the
UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS works to bring science-based solutions
to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. Visit the
UF/IFAS web site at ifas.ufl.edu and follow us on social media at @UF_IFAS.
https://www.newswise.com/articles/ufifas-led-study-may-lead-to-more-heat-tolerant-rice
Why Scientists Are Studying ‘Ricequakes’ in a Tube of
Rice Krispies
They even resemble Antarctica‘s mysterious icequakes.
BY ABBEY
PERREA ULT
OCTOBER 16, 2018

Why Scientists Are Studying ‘Ricequakes’ in a Tube of Rice Krispies
71
Science can happen in a bowl of cereal. AMY/CC BY 2.0
IN YOUR AVERA GE LAB, POURING a bowl of cereal may be a violation of
protocol. But at the University of Sydney, researchers Itai Einav and François Guillard have
found good reason to bring breakfast fare to the lab bench.
Studying or simulating natural phenomena from within a laboratory can be difficult. ―We don‘t
have room for a 100-meter dam in our laboratories,‖ says Dr. Einav, a professor of
geomechanics. Instead, the researchers use puffed rice cereal as a surrogate material for
naturally-occurring dry snow and rocks—all of which fall under the category of brittle, porous
media.
―That‘s the scientific name,‖ says Dr. Einav, ―but I call it crunchy material.‖ Puffed rice is a
good stand-in, since, like snow and rock, cereal breaks under pressure and degrades in fluid.
This isn‘t the scientists‘ first rodeo with Rice Krispies, which, if you didn‘t know, are called Rice
Bubbles in Australia. (During a previous study, Dr. Einav tells me, he referred to his American
colleague as Mr. Rice Krispies, who reciprocated by calling him Mr. Rice Bubbles.) But until
this point, the researchers had worked primarily with dry cereal, which is helpful when it comes
to modeling dry snow or rock crumbling under pressure. But some collapse events involve
water—such as those that occur in ice shelves, sinkholes, and rockfill dams when they‘re
exposed to large amounts of liquid and high pressure. Studying these is challenging, because
they happen incredibly slowly and at such large scale.
That‘s where the milk comes in. Adding it to cereal, the researchers found, could simulate these
collapses in a sped-up, scaled-down way.

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To create the collapse, the researchers poured the cereal into a vertical tube perched atop a
granular filter. They applied a constant amount of pressure at the top of the tube, and added milk
to the bottom. What happened next was a series of snaps, crackles, and collapses, which the
researchers charmingly dubbed ―ricequakes.‖
During each milk-and-pressure induced reaction, the researchers witnessed several quakes, with
the delay before each one growing longer over time. They also noted that each tiny quake was
accompanied by an audible popping noise, which, according to Dr. Einav, aurally resembles ―a
slowing metronome.‖
According to Dr. Einav, what‘s happening can be explained quite simply. He compares the
Krispies apparatus to a train, situated vertically, that comes into contact with liquid at the bottom.
The first car that hits the liquid degrades quickly, and crashes. Once it does, the liquid rises
upward, weakening the next train car or cereal layer, eventually causing it to collapse under the
pressure at the top (albeit more slowly than the first). Eventually, Dr. Einav says, many trains
sitting above the liquid base will crash—with each collapse taking progressively longer.
From this simulation, the scientists have been able to create a mathematical equation that can
explain when, and why, the ricequakes happen. Though Dr. Einav is quick to say that using
models to make real-world predictions is risky, he‘s speculated that it might (at least partially)
explain some natural phenomena, such as the recurring tidal icequakes of Antarctica. ―There are
about two daily, each with a magnitude of 7.0, but they‘ve slowed down over the years,‖ he says.
―People have explained this in many other ways, many of them likely correct, but they look a lot
like the ricequake phenomenon.‖
―The way I see it, we now understand the physics. Now other people can use it.‖

In part, those other people will be geologists or engineers, who may develop technologies that
can, for instance, predict dam collapses. But the other people who can use this research, Dr.
Einav points out, could be anyone. This incredibly complex mathematical modeling was mapped
out through a five-dollar experiment (excluding the cost of the optic microscope, which,
according to Dr. Einav, is among the most expensive microscopes in the world). ―We should be
giving this to kids to replicate at home,‖ he says.
Sure, physics can be obscure at times. But Dr. Einav and Dr. Guillard remind us that it can also
be extremely accessible. Perhaps all it takes is good, crunchy material to make something like
the physics behind icequakes—and ricequakes—a little easier to digest.
Gastro Obscura covers the world’s most wondrous food and drink.
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PHYSICSBREAKFASTS CIENCEFOOD
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/rice-krispies-science
A new 'forever fund' for food security
By Kelli Rogers // 16 October 2018

A researcher for the International Rice Research Institute. Photo by: IRRI
BANGKOK — At the International Rice Research Institute, work is already underway to create
new varieties of this staple crop that can withstand both flooding and drought. Now, the
institution‘s efforts to share this knowledge globally will be supported forever, thanks to a
―perpetuity grant‖ offered by the Crop Trust.
The agreement between IRRI and the Crop Trust, which guarantees $1.4 million in funding each
year in perpetuity, was signed today, on World Food Day, during the 5th International Rice
Congress in Singapore.
The funding represents about 2 percent of IRRI‘s $67 million annual budget, but ―it‘s actually
more important than that,‖ explained Matthew Morell, IRRI's director general. ―It provides us
with the means of maintaining the collection, but also with that funding, we provide seeds to
thousands and thousands of people who contact us and request that material, and it's all provided
free of charge.‖
The first phase of Crop Trust funding will cover essential operations of the IRRI genebank from
2019-2023, including conservation, regeneration, and distribution of its cultivated and wild seed

collections. The institute‘s high-tech facility in Los Baños, the Philippines, is the largest rice
collection in the world, housing 136,000 varieties. Scientists around the world use the seeds
stored there to develop improved rice varieties that can withstand impacts of climate change, and
also offer farmers increased yields.
The facility also houses the ancestors and descendants of IR8, the world‘s first high-yielding rice
developed by IRRI researchers in the early 1960s. The rice is credited with saving many regions
of Asia from famine after it was released in 1966, and Morell explained that this is just one of
many reasons why it‘s critical to safeguard the genebank — which preserves rice varieties that
farmers have selected over hundreds of years.
―It‘s like a library, you go back to where you can find rice types that were adapted to particular
stressors or environmental challenges,‖ Morell explained. ―We can take the genetics that provide
that attribute to the plant, but then we can put that attribute into a much higher yielding rice.‖
Five million farmers in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos, the Philippines, and Indonesia, for
example, are already growing a new form of rice that can survive underwater — a variety that
was developed at IRRI in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Most rice dies
within days of submergence under water, but ―scuba rice‖ withstands flooding for up to two
weeks. Researchers are now adapting the rice for Africa, and others are looking at how to add
drought resistant characteristics so farmers‘ crops are better able to withstand a variety of climate
stressors at once.
https://www.devex.com/news/a-new-forever-fund-for-food-security-93667
Climate change will make beer prices soar
with temperatures, study says
By Alasdair Sandford with Reuters• last updated: 16/10/2018
Now Reading:
Climate change will make beer prices soar with temperatures, study says

Beer drinkers who may think that hotter summers provide an excuse for an extra cooling tipple
or two may be in for a nasty surprise.Climate change threatens to cause global prices to soar
along with global temperatures, as droughts and extreme heat result in shrunken yields of barley,
according to a new scientific report.
It says the effect could be felt keenest in some of Europe‘s most popular beer-drinking countries
such as Ireland, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The report‘s authors stress that the effect of climate change on alcohol pales in comparison to the
life-threatening impact in parts of the world more concerned with storms, drought, and food and
water supplies.
But they argue that the impact on daily lives in developed countries can prompt more action to
be taken.
Less barley, less beer
Barley is one of the main ingredients used to make beer, and about a sixth of global harvests go
towards beer production. Emergency reserves are not generally stockpiled in the same way as
they are with food crops such as corn, rice and wheat.
The study – by scientists based in China, the US and UK and published in the journal Nature
Plants – forecasts that depending on the extent to which conditions change, yields of barley may
fall by between 3% and 17%.

Researchers used a series of climate and economic models to predict the effect on barley crops of
extreme weather produced by climate change. Similar methods have been used for many studies
on staple foods such as wheat and rice, as well as wine – but not previously for beer.
Less beer, higher prices
Under a worst-case scenario, prices would double on average and global consumption would fall
by 16%, the report finds. A best-case scenario would see drinking fall by 4% and a 15% price
rise.
It‘s thought the price of a 50-centilitre bottle in Ireland could soar to nearly $5 US (4.30€), while
the Czech Republic and Poland – where beer is cheaper – would see huge relative increases.
Crop yields might actually increase in temperate areas such as northern China and the United
States, according to the research. But it predicts that domestic beer consumption will still fall as
more barley would be exported.
A global decrease in production might hit beer disproportionately as most barley is fed to
livestock, which would be prioritised should there be a squeeze on supply.
How to safeguard the pint of the future
The scientists say that consumers in developed countries who want to avoid shortages would be
wise to support policies reducing emissions of gases blamed for warming the planet.
The world‘s biggest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), said this year it will cut its
greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter by 2025.
The company has said it is also experimenting with developing drought-resistant barley and is
working with farmers to encourage water-saving initiatives.
The report concludes by saying there is ―something fundamental in the cross-cultural
appreciation of beer‖, which for ―many millennia… has been an important component of social
gatherings and human celebration‖ – even though it is relatively unimportant compared to other
life-threatening impacts of climate change.
―Although it may be argued that consuming less beer is not disastrous – and may even have
health benefits – there is little doubt that for millions of people around the world, the climate
impacts on beer consumption will add insult to injury.‖
https://www.euronews.com/2018/10/16/climate-change-will-make-beer-prices-soar-with-
temperatures-study-says

Olam calls for urgent international cooperation to reduce
major greenhouse gas footprint of rice production
Published by
Olam International Limited
Wednesday 17 October 2018
Urgent action is needed by the agri-sector along with brands, retailers, financial institutions,
scientists and governments to implement solutions to limit methane emissions from rice
production, while improving farmer livelihoods and food security. This has to take into account
that many rice consumers are unable to pay more.
At the 5th International Rice Congress in Singapore this week, Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and
Group CEO of Olam, one of the world‘s largest rice traders, will call on all stakeholders to
advance the implementation of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard which promotes
climate-smart practices.
To achieve real scale, a raft of additional measures such as financial market support, reduced
tariffs and freeing up capital by promoting the benefits of sustainable rice to more affluent
consumers, are required.
Mr Verghese explained, ―Rice production emits the same level of CO2 equivalent as Germany
through methane emissions. But climate change mitigation cannot be a trade-off that hurts the
farmers and communities who depend on rice for income and sustenance.
This is especially so when rice is the largest staple crop in the world, feeding half of humanity.
We must re-imagine the whole supply chain if the world is to become carbon neutral by 2050.‖
Global Head of Rice at Olam, Devashish Chaubey, said, ―Our programmes with the Thai Rice
Department, development agency GIZ3 and others prove that the SRP Standard works.

Together, we are aiming to reach 150,000 farmers by 2023 in Asia and Africa. Yet, this
represents a mere 0.1 per cent of total global rice farming households. Greater scale requires
more impactful action by the whole of the rice sector.‖
What’s wrong with rice?
Rice is one of Southeast Asia‘s biggest crops and the financial backbone for millions of farmers
across the region. As highlighted by the recent IPCC global warming report, the yields and
nutritional value of rice face net reductions should temperatures rise. Consequently, this will
impact millions of farmers and families, particularly those on low
incomes.
Yet rice is also a leading cause of climate change. Methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) which is up
to 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide is emitted as a result of rotting vegetation in the
water-soaked paddy fields, also impacting on water security.
Climatesmart agri-practices such as the removal of rice straw can reduce methane emissions by
70 per cent but farmers need training and support from the market.
Who can help and how?
Brands and Retailers: Commit to promoting and selling sustainable rice
Developed countries consume 23 million metric tonnes (MMT) of rice every year. Major brands
and retailers can catalyse change by choosing the SRP as a procurement standard and promoting
awareness of better rice production systems to consumers. Developed by multiple parties, SRP is
a simple ‗plug and play‘ approach.
Financial Institutions: Reduce interest cost for sustainable rice farmers
More resilient production systems from sustainable projects would reduce variance in
production—and thereby —prices and offset risk. Financial institutions should reflect this in
lower interest rates for farmers who commit to sustainable rice production. A 0.25 per cent

reduction in interest rates can potentially translate to US$500 million in cost savings per year for
participants higher up in the rice supply chain, which could in turn be passed down
to farmers to incentivise the switch to SRP rice.
Insurers: Reduce premiums for more resilient sustainable rice producers
The lack of risk management tools in the market is a hindrance for farmers‘ income and
disruptive to long-term engagement. Improving insurance offerings are a necessary first step to
better credit offerings at farm-level. Agronomists and scientists: Focus on field-level
improvements to improve resiliency and clarify GHG reduction methods. Despite a great deal of
work, there are emerging new findings suggesting that the methane problem is compounded by
nitrous oxide releases (298 times more potent than carbon dioxide11) and outdated farm
practices. Understanding the practical solutions that can be delivered to the farmers quickly and
providing better tools to measure the GHG impacts of these choices is imperative.
The IPCC calculated that methane is 34 times stronger as a heat-trapping gas than CO2 over a
100-year time scale. A single kilogramme of milled rice bought off the shelf would have taken
2,500 litres of water to produce.
Governments: Reduce tariffs and taxes for sustainable rice
The 2017 global tariff for rice (weighted by volume) is 32per cent. A 1per cent reduction in
tariffs for
sustainable rice would be worth more than US$150 million per annum in savings for
exporters12, which could in turn be passed down to farmers to incentivise the switch to SRP rice.
Director at GIZ, Dr. Matthias Bickel, said, ―The Thai Rice NAMA project13 will support
100,000 rice farming households in Thailand to shift from conventional to low-emission rice
farming, reducing emissions of irrigated rice by 29 per cent. Translating these climate benefits
into economic incentives for farmers is done by applying the ‗Sustainable Rice Platform
Standard‘. Treating small-scale rice farmers as ‗agripreneurs‘ and incentivising them to
invest in their farms will make the difference.‖

Issued on behalf of Olam International Limited by: WATATAWA Consulting, 77 Robinson
Road #33-00, Robinson 77, Singapore 068896
For further information, please contact:
Olam Group Corporate Communications
Nikki Barber, Group Head of Public Relations, +44 7568 108555 nikki.barber@olamnet.com
Zoe Maddison, PR Manager, +44 7825 904234 zoe.maddison@olamnet.com
GIZ
Dr. Matthias Bickel, Director, Agriculture and Food, +66 2255 4202 (ext. 105),
matthias.bickel@giz.de
WATATAWA Consulting
Josephine Chew, Managing Director, +65 9061 0353, jchew@we-watatawa.com
Ong Chor Hao, Senior Manager, +65 9627 2674, chorhaoo@we-watatawa.com
About Olam International Limited
Olam International is a leading agri-business operating across the value chain in 66 countries,
supplying various products across 18 platforms to 22,000 customers worldwide. From a direct
sourcing and processing presence in most major producing countries, Olam has built a global
leadership position in many of its businesses. Headquartered in Singapore and listed on the SGX-
ST on February 11, 2005, Olam currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed
companies in Singapore in terms of market capitalisation. In 2016, Fortune magazine recognised
Olam at #23 in its ‗Change the World‘ list.
More information on Olam can be found at www.olamgroup.com.
Olam is located at 7 Straits View, Marina One East Tower #20-01, Singapore 018936.
Telephone:
+65 63394100, Facsimile: +65 63399755.
https://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/olam-calls-for-urgent-international-cooperation-to-
reduce-major-greenhouse-gas-footprint-of-rice-production/

Climate change kills 98% insects in Puerto Rico‘s rainforest:
study
This decline will majorly impact the forest plantation and the animals living there
By Akshit Sangomla
Last Updated: Wednesday 17 October 2018
The number of Yellow chinned Anole lizards, which are commonly found in the area, have also
decreased by 25 per cent. Credit: Getty Images
Climate change is massively affecting the tiny creatures in Luquillo rainforest on the island of
Puerto Rico in the Caribbean region.
Who are these tiny creatures? Answer: Insects
How are they being affected? Answer: 98 per cent fewer insects are found there since the 1970s
A research paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on
October 15 says that researchers landed at this number after noticing the number of insects in the
sticky traps they put up under forest‘s canopy between 1976-77 and 2012-13.
When scientists recovered samples from the forest floor they observed that insects had decreased
by four to eight times within this period. They used a measurement of insect biomass in
milligrams to estimate the change in number of these organisms.
Earlier, studies had predicted a 20 per cent decrease in insects owing to climate change. The
current study shows a parallel decrease in the number of animals that feed on insects like lizards,
frogs and birds. For example, the number of Yellow chinned Anole lizards, which are commonly
found in the area, had decreased by 25 per cent and the green-coloured Emerald Anole lizard had
reduced by 91 per cent.

The study also finds that the rainforest‘s temperature has increased by 2 degree Celsius in the
past 30 years which is a consequence of global warming. This has negatively impacted the
forest‘s food web, which results from a complex interaction of different species of plants and
animals in an ecosystem to fulfill their nutritional requirements. Insects form one of the most
crucial components of food webs as they play the role of prey, predator, pollinator and herbivore.
So their death and extinction will eventually lead to a rapid collapse of food webs in the rain
forest.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change‘s (IPCC) latest special report has also warned
that tropical rainforests like the Amazon will lose a significant amount of biomass (trees, shrubs
and grasses) if the planet warms by 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. Also, it says, if the warming increases
to 3-4 degree Celsius, trees will die off at a much quicker rate after reaching a tipping point,
induced by droughts and fires. When the original trees of a rainforest die they are replaced by
shrubs and grasses which are more prone to forest fires.
As the area covered by such vegetation increases it also increases the occurrence of forest fires.
When rainfall in forests decreases, growth of new trees stops and this reduces evaporation and
then rainfall which becomes a climatic tipping point. The reduction in forest cover will also
impact animals, who depend on the plants for food. Cold-blooded animals, like insects, will
suffer more as they have evolved to adapt to a particular temperature range throughout the year.
Scientists have also predicted that increasing temperatures will decrease reproduction rates of
insects and also increase the rate at which they digest their food. Such impacts might have led to
the catastrophic decrease in insect population in the Luquillo forest of Puerto Rico. The current
paper also implores for further research into the effects of climate change which might find
previously unknown and disastrous results.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/climate-change-kills-98-insects-in-puerto-
rico-s-rainforest-study-61904

USA Rice Meets with WTO Officials as China Cases
Advance
By Jesica Kincaid
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- The second of two cases
filed against China by the United States in the World
Trade Organization's (WTO) legal system advanced this
week and USA Rice COO Bob Cummings met with
attorneys from the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative arguing the case as well as key country
delegations to the WTO. Cummings was joined by
representatives from U.S. Wheat Associates, and the U.S.
Grains Council.
"The WTO dispute settlement process is long, and the U.S. complaint about the way China
administers import quotas for corn, wheat, and rice had its second panel hearing this week where
both sides answered questions from the WTO officials hearing the case. The panel should issue
its findings and report in mid-2019," said Cummings. "The case of more direct interest to rice -
the U.S. complaint about China's producer subsidies for rice and other grains - should be decided
and announced in late 2018/early 2019."
While pressing the two China cases, the Trump Administration has been highly critical of the
WTO for lack of results and for deficiencies in the appellate process of the WTO's dispute
settlement body (DSB).
"To show its displeasure, the U.S. has held up the appointment of judges to the DSB and this
could be a real problem for us. Assuming we win both China cases, there may be insufficient
judges on the appellate body to hear China's likely appeals. We need a solution and a
functioning WTO to reap the benefits of an organization that's been a clear win for U.S. rice and
agriculture, and we reviewed discussions among WTO members in Geneva to address U.S.
concerns", concluded Cummings.

USA Rice Represented at the China
International Rice Festival
By Jim Guinn
HARBIN, CHINA -- Dr. Tim Walker, general manager at Horizon, Ag. LLC, represented USA
Rice and the U.S. rice industry at the China International Rice Festival and 2nd International
Rice Forum held here last week.
Invited by Professor Jian Xie, Deputy Secretary of the Rice Branch of the China National
Association of the Grains Sector (CNAGS), Dr. Walker was among featured speakers from
Thailand, Japan, India, Egypt, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the
Philippines.
"I greatly appreciate USA Rice putting their faith in me to represent our interests in China," said
Walker. "I was honored by the warm welcome and hospitality I received while in Harbin, and
look forward with excitement to the time when our safe, nutritious, and abundant source of U.S.
rice is served on the plates of our friends in China."
Walker introduced the U.S. rice industry to a Chinese audience of more than a thousand,
represented by commercial companies and government agencies, and experts in all aspects of
rice research, from plant breeders to retail brand managers.
"USA Rice is remaining engaged in China and is building relationships with the Rice Branch of
the CNAGS so that when the trade war ends and U.S. rice gains final market access, the U.S. rice
industry will be poised to take advantage of export opportunities that we have worked hard to
create," said Jim Guinn.
Guinn added, "We would like to thank Dr. Walker for his efforts in building relationships that
will provide future benefits to the U.S. rice industry."
Brown rice salad with asparagus makes hearty holiday
dish
AMERICA‘S TEST KITCHEN | Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, 1:33 a.m.
This undated photo provided by America‘s Test Kitchen in August 2018 shows a brown rice salad
with asparagus and goat cheese in Brookline, Mass.

Sign up for one of our email newsletters.
This fresh, hearty side dish will stand out among its richer, creamier counterparts on the holiday
table.
We achieved perfectly cooked brown rice by boiling it in abundant water. Sprinkling the rice
with bright lemon juice while it was still warm boosted its flavor.
To easily turn our brown rice into an appealing side salad, we stirred in crisp, browned bites of
asparagus, more lemon juice, creamy goat cheese and crunchy toasted almonds.
We like the flavor of brown basmati rice, but any long-grain brown rice is acceptable. Look for
asparagus that is bright green and firm.
Toast the almonds in a skillet (without any oil) set over medium heat, shaking the pan
occasionally to prevent scorching.
BROWN RICE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE
Servings: 6-8
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes
Brown Rice:
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Asparagus and Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add rice and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice
is tender, 22 to 25 minutes. Drain rice, transfer to parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet
and spread into even layer. Drizzle rice with lemon juice and let cool completely, about 15
minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of
asparagus with tips pointed in 1 direction and remaining asparagus with tips pointed in opposite
direction. Using tongs, arrange spears in even layer (they will not quite fit into single layer);
cover and cook until bright green and still crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high,
season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until tender and well browned on 1 side, 5 to 7
minutes, using tongs to occasionally move spears from center to edge of pan to ensure all are
browned.
Transfer to plate and let cool completely. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
Whisk olive oil, shallot, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together
in bowl. Transfer cooled rice to large bowl. Add asparagus, all but 2 tablespoons goat cheese and
dressing; toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup almonds and 3 tablespoons parsley; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. Sprinkle with remaining almonds, reserved 2 tablespoons goat cheese and remaining 1
tablespoon parsley; serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 347 calories; 148 calories from fat; 16 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g
trans fats); 8 mg cholesterol; 861 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 11 g
protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit
americastestkitchen.com. America’s Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.
https://triblive.com/lifestyles/fooddrink/14185001-74/brown-rice-salad-with-asparagus-makes-
hearty-holiday-dish
More nutrition in wheat, rice: Is Modi govt up to bio-
fortification to move from food to nutritional security?
Grain production plummeted from 89.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1964-
65 to 72.4 MMT in 1965-66. India became heavily dependent on PL 480 food aid from US and
underwent a ‗ship-to-mouth‘ crisis.
By: Ashok Gulati | New Delhi | Updated: October 15, 2018 1:27 AM
More nutrition in wheat
October 16 is celebrated as ‗World Food Day‘ to mark the creation of United Nation‘s Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. It envisions zero world hunger by 2030. Perhaps the
occasion is incomplete without remembering Nobel Peace laureate Norman E Borlaug, whose
‗miracle seeds‘ of wheat saved over a billion lives from starvation, and who also instituted the

‗World Food Prize‘ in 1986, somewhat akin to a Nobel Prize in agriculture. Peeping into the
past is important to realise the role of science and technology that paved the way for the ‗Green
Revolution‘, ensuring food security. Similar innovations in bio-technologies today hold promise
to give nutritional security.
Rewind history and recollect that the Bengal Famine (1943) is said to have claimed 1.5 million
to 3 million lives due to sheer starvation. India got independence in 1947 with a challenge to feed
330 million people. Situation became grim when India was hit by back to back droughts during
the mid-1960s. Grain production plummeted from 89.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1964-65
to 72.4 MMT in 1965-66. India became heavily dependent on PL 480 food aid from US and
underwent a ‗ship-to-mouth‘ crisis. No wonder, then, that self-sufficiency in food grains became
top priority. India imported 18,000 tonnes of semi-dwarf high yielding (HY) wheat—Lerma
Rojo and Sonora 64, developed by Borlaug and his team at the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico, that ushered in the Green Revolution in India.

Adaptation of imported germplasm to innovate indigenous varieties—like Kalyan, by DS Athwal
and Sona by MS Swaminathan—aided the spread of this revolution. Around the same time, HY
miracle rice—IR8—developed by Peter Jennings and Henry M Beachell of International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) was imported.
About a decade later, improved variety IR36 by
Gurdev Khush from IRRI also made inroads into
Indian fields. In-house crash breeding
programme under All India Coordinated
Research Project (AICRP) produced Padma and
Jaya, the first indigenous HY rice varieties that
formed the backbone of India‘s revolution in rice. Later on, breakthrough in basmati rice came
through Pusa Basmati 1121 and 1509 in 2005 through 2013, developed by teams led by VP
Singh, AK Singh and KV Prabhu at Indian Agricultural Research Institute. This gave Indian rice
more value with less water and 50% higher yields compared to traditional basmati. Singh et al.
2018, estimate the cumulative earnings through exports of Pusa Basmati 1121 and its share of the
domestic market to be about $20.8 billion between 2008-2016.
Where does India stand today in terms of wheat and rice? While India‘s population has grown by
more than four times, from 330 million in 1947 to 1.35 billion in 2018, our wheat production
increased by over 15 times (from about 6.5 MMT in 1950-51 to 99.7 MMT in 2017-18). India
contributes about 13% to the world wheat production, next only to China with about 17% share.
Rice production shot up by about 5.5 times (from 20.6 MMT in 1950-51 to 112.9 MMT in 2017-
18), accounting for about 23% share in world rice production, next only to China with about 29%
share. India is also the largest exporter of rice in the world with about 12.7 MMT (where
Basmati is 4.06 MMT and Non-Basmati is 8.65 MMT), valued at $7.7 billion.
Notwithstanding foodgrain surpluses, India faces a complex challenge of nutritional security.
FAO‘s recent publication, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018, estimates
that about 15% of the Indian population is undernourished. Further, ironically, 38.4% of Indian

children aged below five years are stunted, while 21% suffer from wasting. That is, one in every
four children is malnourished. Several factors ranging from poor diets, unsafe drinking water,
poor hygiene and sanitation, low levels of immunisation and education, especially that of
women, contribute to this dismal situation. But latest innovations in bio-technologies towards
bio-fortification of major staples with micro nutrients like vitamin A, zinc, iron, etc. can be game
changers.
Globally, the HarvestPlus program of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) is already doing lot of work in that direction. In India, they have released iron rich
pearl millet. But Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), independently, has released
zinc and iron rich wheat (WB 02 and HPWB 01), rice (DRR Dhan 45), pearl millet (HHB 299
and AHB 1200), etc. in 2016-17. This could possibly lead to the next breakthrough in staples,
making them more nutritious. Recently, a research team, led by Monika Garg, at National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohalia, pushed frontiers and innovated bio-fortified
coloured wheat (black, blue, purple) through crosses between HY Indian cultivars (PBW550,
PBW621, HD2967) and coloured wheat from Japan and America, rich in anthocyanins
(antioxidants found in, say, blueberries) and zinc (40 ppm compared to 5 ppm in white wheat).
For multiplying its production and evaluating its impact on health and nutrition, farmers of
Borlaug Farmers Association from Punjab and Haryana have been roped in. This seems to be
only the beginning of a new journey, from food security to nutritional security, and the best is yet
to come.
But innovations in bio-fortified foods can alleviate malnutrition only when they are scaled up
with supporting policies. This would require augmented expenditure on agri-R&D and
incentivising farmers by linking their produce to lucrative markets. Can the Modi government do
it? Only time will tell.
By- Ashok Gulati & Ritika Juneja. Gulati is Infosys chair professor for agriculture and
Juneja is research assistant at ICRIER
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/more-nutrition-in-wheat-rice-is-modi-govt-up-to-bio-
fortification-to-move-from-food-to-nutritional-security/1349198/

Food and Agribusiness Webinars
Webinar Series Produced by University of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture
Host and Interviewer
Bobby Coats
Professor - Economics
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
Executive Producer
Mary Poling
Coordinator of Interactive Communications
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Office of Information Technology
The Impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Agriculture
by Bobby Coats - October 11, 2018
This webinar reviewed the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on farming businesses. In
particular, this class discussed issues impacting owners of small C corporations, S corporations,
LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietorships. Included in the discussion was a review of the new
IRC § 199A deduction and its impact on agricultural cooperatives and their patrons, new
depreciation and expensing provisions, new loss provisions, and the new tax treatment for
personal property ―trades.‖
Kristine is an Attorney and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Agricultural Education & Studies
Department and the director for the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Kristine‘s work
focuses on studying and interpreting laws impacting the agricultural industry. In particular, she
focuses on agricultural taxation.
https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/economics-marketing/food-agribusiness-webinars/posts/the-impact-of-
the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-on-agriculture.aspx
Rice production forecast to fall 2.4 pct in 2018: data
2018/10/17 12:00Ar t i cl eVi ew Opti on
SEJONG, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rice output is expected to fall slightly in 2018
from the previous year due to bad weather conditions during the harvest season and a decline in
rice paddies, government data showed Wednesday.

The country's rice production is forecast to reach some 3.87 million tons this year, down 2.4
percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
The 2018 estimate is well below the five-year average of some 4.2 million tons.
A total of 738,000 hectares of rice paddies were used to grow the staple grain this year, down
2.2 percent from last year.
The estimate is a bit higher than the market demand for new rice, which stands at 3.78 million
tons this year.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/10/17/0200000000AEN20181017003300320.html
Minister says govt mulls removing Bernas rice
monopoly
17 October 2018
Datuk Salahuddin Ayub says the government does not want to be hasty in introducing a new
model to replace Bernas because of the question of national food security. — Picture by Razak
Ghazali
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 ― The government is considering removing by 30 per cent next year
the monopoly of Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) on rice supply in the country to enable other
industry players to enter the market, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said this was one of the
proposals the ministry had received to provide a ―soft landing‖ for Bernas which will see the end
of its concession in 2021 when there will be no more monopoly.

The government does not want to be hasty in introducing a new model to replace Bernas because
of the question of national food security, he said when replying to a question from Rusnah Aluai
(PH-Tangga Batu) who wanted to know whether the government proposed to have a new
National Padi and Rice Authority to take over from Bernas.
―Our vision is not just to establish another body to replace Bernas; it is much far-sighted. The
issue of food is a national security issue. As such, clearer and broader views have to be taken into
account,‖ he said.
Salahuddin said a special committee comprising representatives from eight ministries and led by
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is studying the introduction of a
new model to replace the Bernas monopoly.
―This is a major thing as such, we are discussing it in the context of sustainable development
growth and the megatrends that we have to consider,‖ he said.
He also said that the comprehensive study will also have to consider the aspect of urbanisation
with the reducing agricultural land and paddy fields, the population increase by 2050 with the
country‘s population estimated to reach 45 million as well as the changing lifestyle and diet of
the people.
Salahuddin said the issue of terminating the Bernas monopoly in rice supply, as promised in the
PH election manifesto, is an obligation that the government pledges to realise.
At the same time, he said, the government will continue to defend the five social obligations with
regard to farmers when the Bernas monopoly is removed.
These are maintaining and managing the national buffer stock; buying paddy from farmers at the
guaranteed and minimum price; acting as the last buyer of the farmers; managing the subsidy
payments to the farmers under the Paddy Price Subsidy Scheme and managing the Bumiputera
millers scheme, he said.
Salahuddin said the national paddy production had not increased in comparison to other
countries because the acreage under paddy cultivation is only 600,000 hectares compared to 10
million hectares in Thailand and eight million hectares in Vietnam. ― Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/s/1683830/minister-says-govt-mulls-removing-bernas-rice-
monopoly
Almost zero restrictions on rice imports adopted — DBM
October 17, 2018, 10:00 PM
By Chino S. Leyco

A member of the Duterte administration‘s economic team appealed to the National Food
Authority (NFA) to be liberal in rice importation as any government policy should always bring
the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Benjamin E. Diokno
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said yesterday
that the government is adopting an ―almost unimpeded‖
policy when it comes to rice importation, citing its
rules should be ―painless as possible, [and] less
bureaucratic as possible‖ to control the skyrocketing
consumer prices.―We will adopt almost unimpeded
except for the sanitary and phytosanitary. We can
import rice, we can import sugar, we can import onion
and garlic, whatever,‖ Diokno said in a briefing. ―We
really need to control inflation.‖―The desire is to ease
or remove almost all the restrictions on importation,
that is necessary,‖ he added.Last week, President
Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered to put an end to restrictions
on rice imports to ease the soaring inflation, which
recently reached its fastest level in almost a decade.
Diokno, along with Finance Secretary Carlos G.
Dominguez III and Socioeconomic Planning Ernesto
M. Pernia first floated the idea with President Rodrigo
R. Duterte, which Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol opposed.
According to Piñol, entities wanting to import the staple food would still have to go through the
NFA process of accreditation and licensing.
But Diokno said the process in securing the regulatory permit from the grains agency should be
―painless as possible.‖
―There should be no strict requirements. So if you want to import all you have to do is tell
Department of Agriculture, and they cannot [deny the application], unless you have a bad
reputation,‖ the budget chief said.
As long as the applicants can show they have warehouses and the ability to import, and raise
money, they should be allowed by the agriculture department, Diokno added.
Asked if there will be an import quota and desired retail price level for rice, Diokno said none.
―Thats up to the market. It‘s a no-brainer if you conduct a policy, it has to benefit the greatest
number of people. We are you talking of the 107 million consumers versus the 2.5 million
farmers,‖ the DBM chief said.

The Department of Finance (DOF) earlier said that rice was the culprit for higher than expected
inflation this year as the agency noted that the contribution of the staple food to the rate of
increase in consumer prices skyrocketed by tenfold.
The Finance department said the contribution of rice has risen by 10-times to one percentage
point of the inflation rate in the first nine-months of the year, which also fuelled the cost of basic
food items such fish, meat and vegetables.
Based on the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) data, rice was the number one contributor to
inflation in September 2018, while food items in the consumption basket accounted for more
than half of the inflation rate in the same month.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/10/17/almost-zero-restrictions-on-rice-imports-adopted-dbm/
Rice Prices
as on : 17-10-2018 01:22:22 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals Price
Current %
change
Season
cumulative
Modal Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Azamgarh(UP) 1250.00 2.04 20310.00 2275 2280 8.33
Puranpur(UP) 1000.00 1900 4930.70 2520 2530 -
Manjeri(Ker) 290.00 NC 6670.00 3500 3700 -5.41
Sultanpur(UP) 267.50 0.94 1565.00 2375 2365 -
Siliguri(WB) 159.00 3.25 9926.00 2700 2700 NC

Gondal(UP) 135.00 -3.57 10314.50 2360 2360 11.32
Agra(UP) 105.00 17.98 3115.00 2500 2530 -5.66
Bareilly(UP) 80.00 77.78 1254.40 2450 2550 -
Jasra(UP) 76.00 280 1257.50 2300 2350 -
Bharthna(UP) 73.00 265 4432.50 2460 2470 -
Bhivandi(Mah) 64.00 30.61 466.00 2120 2740 -1.40
Hanagal(Kar) 49.00 512.5 106.00 1900 1700 -
Vasai(Mah) 49.00 11.36 1454.00 3365 3250 16.03
Basti(UP) 48.00 54.84 2218.50 2230 2200 5.44
Kolar(Kar) 36.00 1100 103.00 4354 5847 -21.55
Mathura(UP) 35.00 40 953.00 2540 2560 0.79
Tanda Urmur(UP) 30.00 900 75.70 1300 2000 -
Naanpara(UP) 27.00 8 1606.30 2290 2285 3.39
Lakhimpur(UP) 25.00 -16.67 756.00 2310 2280 6.45
Nadia(WB) 25.00 4.17 441.00 3850 3600 4.05
Vishalpur(UP) 20.50 -21.15 453.00 2510 2550 -
Kayamganj(UP) 20.00 -28.57 817.00 2390 2380 4.82

Sirsaganj(UP) 18.00 -10 968.00 2775 2780 18.09
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB) 16.00 1.27 840.40 3000 3000 11.11
Khurja(UP) 15.00 NC 984.00 2585 2580 -
Fatehabad(UP) 14.00 115.38 156.20 2220 2320 -
Mahoba(UP) 12.60 36.96 448.80 2210 2170 -
Paliakala(UP) 11.00 15.79 979.10 2280 2275 -
Sahiyapur(UP) 10.50 23.53 2234.50 2200 2195 -
Ahirora(UP) 10.10 -67.42 148.95 2300 2300 10.05
Chorichora(UP) 10.00 42.86 584.00 2230 2235 -
Mugrabaadshahpur(UP) 9.50 18.75 138.30 2300 2300 -
Fatehpur(UP) 8.50 13.33 985.10 2190 2180 -0.45
Ruperdeeha(UP) 8.00 33.33 224.00 1600 1600 -
Farukhabad(UP) 7.00 16.67 378.60 2320 2310 4.98
Mirzapur(UP) 4.50 50 842.00 2260 2245 -
Anandnagar(UP) 4.00 -42.86 58.00 2200 2150 -
Jahangirabad(UP) 3.50 16.67 179.00 2575 2600 9.57
Sehjanwa(UP) 3.00 NC 144.50 2160 2160 -

Dibrugarh(ASM) 2.80 -39.13 678.90 2920 2920 29.78
Kalimpong(WB) 2.50 38.89 39.60 4600 4500 76.92
Tundla(UP) 2.40 14.29 161.30 2550 2520 -
Amroha(UP) 2.20 4.76 41.42 2600 2600 5.26
Mau(Chitrakut)(UP) 2.00 -33.33 34.20 1785 1775 -
Fatehpur Sikri(UP) 0.70 NC 28.50 2675 2665 5.73
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article25246573.ece
NFA to control rice imports
By: Karl R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:35 AM October 17, 2018
Despite the latest pronouncement of President Duterte to liberalize the importation of rice,
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said prospective importers still needed to secure the
necessary permits from the National Food Authority (NFA).
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the official said that while the NFA Council has already allowed
rice retailers to directly import the staple, they would still have to go through the NFA process of
accreditation and licensing.
This ran counter to the statement of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who said that
the President authorized the ―unimpeded‖ importation of rice.
―The President never used the words ‗unimpeded importation.‘ He said ‗let‘s flood the market with
rice,‘‖ Piñol said.

He added that the government would only import what it needed to ensure that local farmers would
not be on the losing end.
―The intention of the President is to just stabilize the supply and price in the market. The President
also understands that we would only need to import what we need to ensure that the farmers would
not suffer,‖ Piñol said.
This means rice imports would still be controlled by the grains agency through the issuance of
import permits and the NFA would still have the final say as to which entities could bring in rice to
the country.
The NFA Council, which is headed by Piñol, has already allowed retailers to import as much as
100,000 metric tons (MT) of rice so long as they secure the necessary permits.
If this pushes through, government-approved imports this year would reach 2.5 million tons—the
highest on record since 2008.
It was during the Arroyo administration that the Philippines imported about 2.34 million tons of
rice to address a shortfall.
The NFA has already approved the importation of 1.25 million tons of rice this year, 500,000 MT
of which have already arrived in the country.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry has acquired some 350,000 MT of rice to be
distributed under its ―Suki Store‖ program, where consumers may avail themselves of affordable
rice at P38 a kilo.
The country has also used up its minimum access volume (MAV) allocation for rice this year of
805,000 MT. The MAV is the allowed amount of imports that can enter the country at a lower
import duty under an agreement with the World Trade Organization.
On top of these imports are the expected shipments from the private sector of at least 100,000MT.
In total, the country would be importing about 2.5 million tons of rice.
As of the last week of September, rice prices in the market have yet to go down despite cuts in
wholesale prices. Piñol said he was informed by rice retailers in a conference this week that they

were expecting retail prices to go down by the last week of October, or when their old rice stocks
have been sold out.
https://business.inquirer.net/259070/nfa-control-rice-imports
Rumors of rice aid to North Korea circulate as prices
skyrocket
ByElizabeth Shim
Workers rake harvested rice in Chuncheon, South Korea. File Photo by Yonhap
Oct. 17 (UPI) -- False rumors of South Korean government deliveries of massive amounts of rice
to North Korea are spreading online at a time when consumers are struggling with record-high
prices, according to a South Korean press report.
The Internet chatter on rice, a staple food in Korea, has prompted local newspapers to investigate
the facts in order to dispel the rumors, the Weekly Kyunghyang reported Wednesday.

Rice prices began to climb rapidly in April when about 175 pounds reached $151. By Sept. 25, the
price had risen to $158, or up 34 percent, year-on-year.
Some of the rumors claim the government has cut a secret deal with the North to donate rice in
return for North Korean coal.
Three South Korean firms imported coal from North Korea disguised as Russian products last year.
Conservative South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo investigated the rice aid claims and found them
to be false, according to the Kyunghyang.
Rice delivery to the North, ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 tons of rice, would require "hundreds of
people" in a workforce for two months, sources in agriculture told the Chosun.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2018/10/17/Rumors-of-rice-aid-to-North-Korea-circulate-
as-prices-skyrocket/6041539788008/
UF/IFAS-led Study May Lead to More Heat-Tolerant
Rice
OCTOBER 17, 2018
Rice, the most widely consumed food crop in the world, takes a beating in hot weather. To
combat the high temperatures, a global group of scientists, led by a University of Florida
researcher, has found the genetic basis to breed a more heat-tolerant rice cultivar.
HORTICULTURE PROFESSOR BALASUBRAMANIAN RATHINASABAPATHI (SABA).
EXPERIMENTS, BEAKER, LABORATORY.
UF/IFAS PHOTO BY TYLER JONES
―The productivity of rice, one of the three major cereal grains feeding the world, is often affected
by temperature extremes, especially higher-than-optimal temperatures,‖ said Bala
Rathinasabapathi, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences.
Temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius, or just under 90 degrees Fahrenheit, can damage rice,
according to multiple studies performed in rice-growing regions of the world.

Nearly 90 percent of the world‘s rice is produced and consumed in Asia, according to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In the U.S., rice grows mainly in Arkansas,
California, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. Some rice also grows in Florida.
Rathinasabapathi led a recent study in which researchers discovered DNA markers associated
with heat tolerance that may lead to a more heat-tolerant rice variety. He explained the use of
DNA markers like this: Just as police can identify people by their fingerprints, scientists identify
genes they‘re interested in by DNA variations that are closely associated with the genes.
Scientists usually find DNA markers very close to the genes of interest. They call these
―candidate genes,‖ Rathinasabapathi said. Thus, plant breeders can select plants containing the
desired combination of DNA markers to efficiently identify plants with desirable genes and
characteristics controlled by those genes.
That‘s the process scientists used in the new study. They studied a population of rice plants
derived by crossing a variety from India called ‗Nagina 22‘ with another line called ‗IR64,‘ a
variety developed by the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, using
conventional breeding methods.
‗Nagina 22‘ grows better and thus produces more rice than other varieties, even under extreme
heat, Rathinasabapathi said. But the quality of the rice is not as high as some varieties, including
‗IR64,‘ he said.

A future research goal would be to use the DNA markers generated in this study to select for
‗Nagina 22‘ candidate genes for heat tolerance, combined with other traits from ‗IR64‘ into one
variety, he said.
Newton Kilasi, a former UF/IFAS doctoral student, Eduardo Vallejos, a UF/IFAS associate
professor and Jugpreet Singh, a former UF/IFAS post-doctoral researcher – all in horticultural
sciences — were among the scientists who helped Rathinasabapathi with the new study. The
research is published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science.
Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
http://southeastagnet.com/2018/10/17/uf-ifas-study-lead-heat-tolerant-rice/
OU student uses Udall Scholarship to research relationship
between fungi, rice
 Francesca Marinoni, news reporter
 Oct 17, 2018
Daniel Hayden, an undergraduate student who has received multiple grants for his research, on
Sept. 27.
Kathryn Stacy/The Daily
An OU student has received a scholarship to fund a study on improving the relationship between
fungi and rice.
Plant biology senior Daniel Hayden received the Udall Scholarship, a national scholarship
awarded to 50 people across the U.S. It is awarded to students who are interested in the
environment and natural resources, Native American health care and Native American tribal
policy, Hayden said.
Hayden conducts his own research in the lab of Laura Bartley, an OU associate professor in the
department of microbiology and plant biology.
During the orientation for the scholarship recipients, Hayden met with the other award recipients.
Also present were members of the Udall family, for whom the scholarship is named, including
Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico.

―They have been very influential in environmental policies and Native American policies,‖
Hayden said. ―Getting to meet all these people, including (Udall), was an amazing experience
and opportunity.‖
Hayden applied for the environmental aspect of the scholarship because the work he does
currently is looking at beneficial fungi in the roots of rice, he said.
―(Hayden) was working on localizing a particular cell wall sugar that changes in response to the
development of a lateral root inside the main root of a rice plant,‖ said David Thomas, a third-
year doctoral student. ―He was using this technique called immunolocalization — that is the
method of using antibodies to target a specific molecule. In this case, it's the cell wall sugar.‖
Essentially, Hayden studies the interaction between plants and fungi. In particular, he is studying
a beneficial interaction between cereal crops such as rice and a fungus called mycorrhizal
fungus, Bartley said.
―This interaction is a symbiotic interaction where plants give carbon to the fungus and, in return,
the fungus helps the plant get water and nutrients, in particular phosphate,‖ Bartley said.
―Improving this interaction would be a way to improve agricultural sustainability by increasing
water use efficiency and reducing use of fertilizers.‖
This research is also important because of how this could improve the use of biofuels, Thomas
said.
Thomas said a big focus of studying plants for biofuel use is trying to make plants that are more
easily degraded and broken apart to release the sugar from the cell wall, which can be
synthesized into fuel.
―What (Hayden) worked on showed that there is this change in a structural cell wall,‖ Thomas
said. ―The part that he was working on helped support the story that the plant is degrading itself

during this natural process, so it‘s a case in which the plant is doing something that we want to
be able to do at a larger scale.‖
According to Hayden, his research experience has taught him a lot outside of the classroom
setting.
―Doing stuff like research gives you a lot of responsibilities,‖ Hayden said. ―These lessons that
you don‘t learn when you are in a classroom.‖
http://www.oudaily.com/news/ou-student-uses-udall-scholarship-to-research-relationship-between-
fungi/article_2de4cc00-d232-11e8-8e45-f77cf936f2a9.html
Food waste, postharvest losses where millions remain hungry
By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas & Cai U. Ordinario
October 18, 2018

In Photo: This October 2, 2010, file photo shows children jostling each other to get free porridge
at the Baseco Compound in Port Area, Manila.
THE country‘s tropical climate makes the Philippines an ideal location for growing a number of
food crops. This is why many of the country‘s farms are planted with rice, vegetables and fruits.
Despite the suitability of Philippine farms for food crops, millions of Filipinos suffer from
hunger and are malnourished. According to the World Hunger Report 2018, there are still some
14.2 million undernourished Filipinos and 13.3 million food-insecure Filipinos. Taken together,
these account for nearly a third of the country‘s population.
Food wasted and food lost due to postharvest handling could reduce the number of the hungry
and malnourished in the Philippines based on government data. But minimizing waste and
postharvest losses remains a huge challenge for policymakers and citizens, making the
achievement of the United Nations‘ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) an uphill battle.
Ending hunger is SDG Goal 2, and the first target of the UN is to ensure access by all people, in
particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious and
sufficient food all year round. This is being monitored by the government.
This is not the case for SDG Goal 12 on sustainable consumption, which intends to halve per
capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along
production and supply chains, including postharvest losses by 2030. However, this is not part of
the country‘s local SDG monitoring.
Food loss, or food waste, refers to the ―decrease of food in subsequent stages of the food supply
chain intended for human consumption,― according to the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), which also coauthored the World Hunger Report.
―Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial production down to final
household consumption,― a briefer from the National Economic and Development Authority
(Neda) explained.

―The decrease may be accidental, or intentional, but ultimately leads to less food available for
all. Food that gets spilled or spoilt before it reaches its final product or retail stage is called food
loss,‖ it added.
Data on food waste is available from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA).
Limited data
However, they are all limited in scope. The PhilMech data focuses only on the waste that results
from the harvest to the storage of rice; the FNRI data, food consumption loss per plate—includes
rice and other commodities; while the PSA‘s Food Demand Survey (FDS) focuses on rice
wasted.
Based on PhilMech data, the BusinessMirror estimated that postharvest losses in palay reach
16.4 percent a year. This is composed of losses in harvesting at 2.03 percent; piling, 0.08
percent; threshing, 2.18 percent; drying, 5.86 percent; milling, 5.52 percent; and storage, 0.8
percent.
Last year, total palay lost reached 3.173 million metric tons (MMT) valued at P57.476 billion,
based on the computation of the BusinessMirror. This could have fed nearly 19 million Filipinos.
Food waste
The FNRI defines ―food wastage― as any cooked and raw food items that an individual or family
failed to consume, or utilize, due possibly to spoilage, cooking preparation, plate waste and those
fed to pets and animals.
Based on the FNRI‘s 2015 survey, a Filipino household wastes 43 grams of rice daily. At 22.975
million Filipino households, according to the latest PSA data, the country wastes around 987,952
kg of rice daily.

Based on the computation of the BusinessMirror, the country wastes some P41 million worth of
rice daily using the price of the well-milled variety at P42 per kg. Annually, Filipinos waste
360.602 million kg of rice valued at some P15.145 billion, according to the BusinessMirror‘s
estimates. This could have fed at least 3.281 million Filipinos.
The PSA, the country‘s statistical agency, defines wastage as ―losses, decrease or destruction of
something by use.‖
Based on latest PSA data, a Filipino household wastes 1.676 kg of rice annually, translating to a
total country loss of 38.507 million kg, valued at P1.617 billion. The figures are significantly
lower than the estimates using FNRI‘s data.
The FNRI data also showed that Filipinos wasted a total of 8 grams of other food items such as
fish, meat, poultry and vegetables. Plate waste for fish and fish products was at 6 grams, while
meat and meat products and poultry accounted for 1 gram each.
As for vegetables, Filipinos waste some 5 grams per plate. FNRI data showed green, leafy and
yellow vegetables recorded a plate waste of 2 grams per plate, while ―other vegetables‖ was at 3
grams per plate.
Postharvest losses
Caling Balingbing, International Rice Research Institute‘s Senior Associate Scientist for
Mechanization and Postharvest, said the country‘s palay postharvest losses have been declining
since the 1970s as more Filipinos gained access to farm equipment.
―The trend shows that since 1974, the postharvest loss has been declining given the introduction
of machines. In 1974 postharvest loss was around 23.5 percent,‖ Balingbing told the
BusinessMirror
―We now have mechanical dryers from PhilRice. PhilMech is disseminating mechanical dryers.
PhilRice has flat-bed dryers, which are really good and efficient as they are less laborious,‖ he
added.

Balingbing noted, however, that farmers‘ use of modern equipment will not guarantee ―absolute
elimination‖ of postharvest losses. This is because, according to Balingbing, some farm machine
operators do not use machines at an ―optimal level,‖ resulting in production losses.
―Because of the eagerness to earn more from providing service to other farmers, the operators
tend to fast-track the machine work. The operators of combined harvesters are paid in terms of
hours per hectare, so they tend to hasten their work,‖ he said.
―If you work so fast the tendency is that you will not be able to harvest all the crops or some
would be wasted along the way,‖ he added.
‗Bukbok‘
Balingbing said the use of ordinary sacks by farmers to store their rice also expands losses. He
added that the use of ordinary sacks makes stored crops vulnerable to pests and weather-related
problems.
―The Philippines is a tropical country. Crops are exposed to high humidity. Once crops absorb
moisture it could lead to issues such as the bukbok [weevil],‖ he said. ―Rice stored in ordinary
sacks attracts moisture and insects.‖
Balingbing recommended the use of air-tight, hermetic storage that would protect crops against
weather-related issues, pests and insects.
―This kind of storage does not anymore require the use of chemicals or pesticides to address
pests. Pests die of natural death due to depletion of oxygen,‖ Balingbing said.
Cutting losses
Dr. Arnold S. Juliano, head of the Philippine Rice Research Institute Rice‘s Engineering and
Mechanization Division, said the government is targeting to reduce postharvest losses by at least
2 percent to a maximum of 14 percent.

Juliano told the BusinessMirror that palay farmers could lose as much as 20 percent of their
harvest during the wet season. ―Most likely, the use of combined harvesters has reduced the
postharvest losses by 2 percent just in the harvesting stage alone.‖
Another significant challenge to cutting postharvest losses is farmers‘ practice of sun drying rice
along road pavements, according to Juliano.
―In fact, that is being banned. But because farmers do not have an area where they can dry their
palay, they keep going back to the roadside,‖ he said.
―There are really huge losses during the wet season. For example, while palay is being sun dried,
it would suddenly rain. This would wash off some of the unmilled rice,‖ Juliano said.
―That is actually the challenge for [the government], how to reduce the postharvest losses.
Losses in the drying stage during wet season go up to 9 percent of the total production,‖ he
added.
Juliano said with the introduction of PhilRice-crafted mechanical dryers, they seek to cut losses
incurred by farmers by half of the current 5.86-percent average.
Juliano explained that the drying stage of palay is ―crucial‖ as rice is vulnerable to foreign
materials and breakage. The drying method used is responsible for the so-called ―brokens‖ in
rice varieties. He said PhilRice is currently undertaking a study on the current postharvest losses
at the harvesting stage. The agency will also embark on another study on updates on losses at the
drying stage of palay.
Alternatives
Juliano said one measure that could help cut the country‘s rice waste and losses is promoting the
consumption of brown rice. The average milling recovery rate (MRR) for brown rice is higher at
75 percent, 10 percentage points over the 65.4-percent average MRR of white rice. However, the
PhilRice official acknowledged that brown rice is more expensive compared to white rice.
―Brown rice is supposed to be cheaper because it only underwent dehulling.‖

―I think what makes it expensive is the packaging and the lack of market. Brown rice is vacuum
packed to prolong its shelf life, which adds to the cost,‖ he added.
Juliano said that brown rice could be sold at about P40 per kg, fairly comparable to and even
cheaper than the current prevailing price of well-milled rice. Expanding the market for brown
rice could bring down its price.
―In fact, rice millers would earn more as their production cost would be reduced. At the same
time the rice husk could be used for power generation,‖ he said, adding that rice husks are being
bought at P2 per kg.
Issues
Agriculture economists noted that the Philippines continues to struggle with the lack of
mechanization. In some countries like Malaysia, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P)
Center for Food and Agri Business Executive Director Rolando T. Dy said the processes of
harvesting, piling and threshing were done mechanically. Losses in handling and transporting
palay are avoided.
Dy added that many of the farm machines available today, such as those being used for milling,
are new and can easily remove the husk from every grain of palay.
The UA&P economist also said planting one rice variety per locale will make it easier for
farmers to maximize milling facilities. While this can be done by the Department of Agriculture
(DA) since it is concerned with food production, Dy said this initiative should be implemented
by local government units (LGUs). He said LGUs will have a better grasp of the topography, the
soil type, and the most suitable variety for their area.
―Planting various rice varieties could result in brokens. Medium, short and long,‖ Dy said. ―In
Pidig [Nueva Ecija], milling recovery rate is high because farmers are told what variety they
should plant.‖

He also cited a need to upgrade facilities. New facilities, particularly for milling, can increase
recovery rate to around 71 to 73 percent. But the recovery rate in the country is only around 60
percent.
Senen U. Reyes, UA&P Senior Management Specialist, also said many farmers do not have their
own drying facilities. While the government and private sector provide flatbed dryers and drying
pavements, the use of these facilities entails costs.
Reyes said with the government buying palay from farmers at only P17 per kg, there is no
incentive for them to use these facilities. This is why many farmers would rather dry their palay
on roads, even if they are aware of the risks of doing so.
Incentives, he said, should not only be related to the buying price of the National Food Authority
(NFA). These perks, Reyes said, should encourage farmers to produce quality grains.
As farmers sell their palay on the basis of weight, Reyes said they no longer care about
producing full heads of rice. This allows them to justify their practice of drying palay on roads.
―They do not realize that if rice is dried on the highway, they will incur losses and the grains
would break, which could impact on the milling efficiency,‖ he said.
―Highways are not drying pavements. It‘s for the use of vehicles and motorists, not farmers.
Farmers may use the roads for transporting their goods,‖ Reyes added.
The practice of drying palay on roads can be addressed by LGUs. Reyes acknowledged,
however, that politicians may be wary of restricting this practice as they may lose votes.
Organizing farmers, Dy said, would help improve the volume and quality of palay produced.
Farmer-cooperatives have a better chance of accessing quality mills because of economies of
scale.
―Interventions in the value chain at the farming level, the DA can only do so much. Local
governments should take the lead because they are the ones responsible for agricultural extension
services,‖ Dy said.

In terms of rice consumption, Dy said data limitations make it difficult to get a more accurate
picture. This, he said, is largely due to limitations in data collection related to food consumed
outside of the house.
‗Unli-rice‘
The UA&P economist said changes in food consumption could ease the pressure on the
country‘s food output. Initiatives to cut rice consumption have been tried in the past. But efforts
to discourage people from wasting other food items have yet to be introduced.
Last year, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, Sen. Cynthia A.
Villar, advocated the ban on offering unli-rice meals. It sought to encourage Filipinos to exercise
prudence, but netizens were not receptive to the senator‘s recommendation.
In 2013 PhilRice also launched the ―Be Riceponsible‖ campaign, which encourages consumers
to stop wasting rice and to eat brown rice, or rice mixed with corn. It also encouraged farmers to
plant rice and adopt technologies that would increase yield and income.
The ―Be Riceponsible‖ campaign urged policymakers to ―institutionalize the availability and
default serving of half cup of rice to prevent wastage and give consumers more options.‖
However, despite data showing evidence that households continue to waste other food items,
such as meat, fish and vegetables, government efforts related to cutting food waste continued to
focus on rice.
Road to zero
While improving the milling recovery rate of rice by a few percentage points will increase the
supply of the staple, Reyes said this does not mean that it would be affordable and accessible.
This is because farmers sell their crop to traders and millers even before it is harvested.
Food security, according to FAO, is a ―multidimensional‖ concept that can be described by four
pillars: accessibility, availability, utilization and stability. FAO said ―food security refers to the

availability of food, whereas famine and hunger are the consequence of the nonavailability of
food, in other words, the results of food insecurity.‖
―We can have a buffer stock but it won‘t be in the hands of the government. That is the real issue
recently. We had stocks but these are not in state warehouses and the buffer wasn‘t cheap. The
stocks were mostly with the traders,‖ Reyes said.
Eliminating food waste would not automatically lead to zero hunger, according to Dy. He said
hunger has an income component. For a person to avoid hunger, he must be able to have access
to affordable food.
Based on the country‘s rebased 2012 Consumer Price Index (CPI), food has a weight of around
38 percent. However, Dy said this only accounts for household food consumption. In reality,
food consumption could easily take up 46 percent of the budget of Filipino families because food
eaten outside accounts for about 8 percent. In this sense, he said the definition of the PSA is not
consistent with international standards.
If the country will meet the aim of zero hunger, Reyes said the government needs to implement
the ―right interventions‖ and start implementing these measures today. He noted that the aim of
attaining the SDGs by 2030 is only 12 years away.
Changing farm policies is a vital measure that would allow the Philippines its commitment to the
UN to eliminate hunger, according to Neda officials.
Neda Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Staff (Anres) Assistant Director Lenard
Martin P. Guevarra said the government‘s fixation with rice has discouraged the production of
affordable and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
―For example, we do not have a comparative advantage in rice but this has been our policy for
the longest time. The bulk of the budget is going there so you create an artificial attractiveness to
it, that is why farmers prefer rice,‖ Guevarra told the BusinessMirror.

―But if you look at the per capita consumption of the Philippines in terms of vegetables and
fruits, we are actually below the international requirement. It shows that we need to diversify,‖
he added.
Citing the experience of South Korea and Japan, Guevarra said countries tend to shift their
support from cereals to high-value crops to meet the demand of their population. Guevarra noted
that consumers usually move away from cereals to high-value crops and other commodities as
their incomes improve.
―If we pour the bulk of our investments into commodities in which we do not have comparative
advantage just to eliminate imports, it would be costly. It will help reduce imports and achieve
sufficiency for a year, but it is hard to maintain and sustain as the Philippines is vulnerable to
disasters,‖ he said.
―The question now is, will the use of public funds on these commodities benefit the public?‖ he
added.
Some Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia attempted to be self-sufficient in rice
following the food crisis of 2008, but eventually abandoned the initiative, according to Guevarra.
Diversifying to high-value crops, he said, would benefit farmers more as it could improve their
income.
What is more important, Neda Anres Director Nieva T. Natural said, is for the Philippines to
become ―food secure‖ and not ―food sufficient.‖
https://businessmirror.com.ph/food-waste-postharvest-losses-where-millions-remain-hungry/
World's largest rice gene bank secures funding to fight
climate change
Reuters|Oct 15, 2018, 11.01 PM IST
The IRRI conserves and shares 136,000 rice varieties with farmers, breeders and scientists, said Marie Haga, executive director
of the Crop Trust.
KUALA LUMPUR: The world's largest collection of rice varieties has secured indefinite
funding in what officials say will be crucial for the development of seeds resilient to the effects

of climate change.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will sign an
agreement with Bonn-based non-profit the Crop Trust on
Tuesday in Singapore to secure $1.4 million per year to fund
IRRI's rice gene bank in Los Baños, the Philippines.
"It is really important to the future of food security," said
Matthew Morell, director general at IRRI. "Within those rice
varieties are genetics that will allow us to preserve the ability to
produce rice in the face of climate change," he told the
Thomson Reuters Foundation. About 3 billion people - mostly
in Asia - depend on rice as a staple. But as the world's
population increases, farmers are struggling to meet rising
demand, while crops suffer from extreme weather conditions
linked to climate change.
By 2050, annual global rice consumption is projected by IRRI to rise from 450 million tonnes to
525 million tonnes.
The Philippines-based IRRI was established in 1960 and one of its first activities was to collect
rice varieties from around Southeast Asia and South Asia.
The IRRI conserves and shares 136,000 rice varieties with farmers, breeders and scientists, said
Marie Haga, executive director of the Crop Trust.
The Crop Trust is building an endowment fund, currently at $300 million, and hopes to
eventually secure $850 million to provide permanent funding for the IRRI's rice bank, one of the
most important agricultural gene banks in the world, Haga said.
Most of the Crop Trust's funding comes from governments, and as the endowment fund grows, it
will increase the number of crop collections it funds.
"The most important threat to food security is that the climate changes faster than plants are able
to adapt," Haga told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "That's why we need to help them and we
can do that by natural breeding."
Scientists at IRRI have used rice stored in the bank to develop varieties that can withstand
drought and flooding, which are already threatening production in countries like India, China, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Morell said that a main focus is developing
varieties that are more resistant to high temperatures, and more frequent droughts and floods
from rain as well as the ocean. "In Asia we have areas which grow rice along coastal zones,
where typhoons bring sea water into the rice fields, so those genetics for salinity resistance is
important," he said.
Source:Reuters|

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