21 22 november ,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
November 21-22 ,2018
Vol 9 ,Issue 11

Government allows more traders to import rice
By Jasper Y. Arcalas
November 22, 2018
in Photo: This April 12, 2017, file photo shows different varieties of rice being sold at
a local market in Manila. The government on Wednesday approved rules that will allow more
traders to import rice outside of the minimum access volume of the World Trade Organization
Manila will allow rice imports beyond the country‘s minimum access volume (MAV) after the
National Food Authority Council (NFAC) approved the out-quota guidelines on Wednesday to
further boost the Philippines‘s stockpile.
Agriculture Secretary and NFAC Chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol said interested traders may start
applying for permits to import rice at the NFA on November 22.

―The purpose of the importation is to bring down the prices of rice,‖ Piñol told reporters in an
interview after the NFAC meeting on Wednesday.
Rice imports within the MAV of the World Trade Organization are slapped a tariff of 35 percent,
while those bought into the country outside of the quota are levied a tariff of 50 percent.
The NFAC‘s move comes ahead of the expected passage of a measure that would lift the
quantitative restriction (QR) on rice and replace it with tariffs.
Piñol said the NFAC has decided to allow out-quota importation to ensure that the retail price of
rice would remain affordable to Filipino consumers.
―Why would I wait for [the rice tariffication]? What if it would take longer? Then consumers
would complain that rice prices are increasing,‖ he said.
According to Piñol, interested traders need to meet only three requirements approved by the
NFAC—show proof of financial capacity, warehouse capability and retail capability.
―These will effectively weed out fly-by-night importers who just apply for import permit and sell
them afterward,‖ he said.
―The feeling of the council is that the old system employed did not effectively reduce the price of
rice because some import permits of farmers cooperatives are sold at about P100 per bag. And
that effectively increases the price of rice by P2 per kilogram,‖ he added.
Piñol brushed aside fears that the NFAC decision to further open up the Philippine rice market
would cause an influx in cheap imports and hurt local farmers.
―When importers feel that there‘s so much rice stocks in the market, prices could go down and
they will not make money,‖ he said. ―It would be the market that will set the cap. The absorbtive
capacity of the market would dictate it. No businessman in his right mind will import rice if he
would not earn.‖

The NFAC did not specify an end-date for the out-quota importation, so traders may import rice
provided that they meet the requirements of the council and pay the tariffs.
Piñol said the Philippines will start 2019 with a buffer stock equivalent to 134 days of national
consumption. He said his estimate does not include yet rice that will be brought into the country
by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
‗Enough rice‘
The National Food Authority (NFA) on Wednesday said its warehouses in areas hit by Typhoon
Samuel have enough rice.
NFA OIC-Administrator Tomas Escarez said he has already instructed the agency‘s regional
offices in the Visayas, Bicol region, Southern Luzon and Northern Mindanao to secure their
stocks ―in anticipation for rice distribution and relief operations during and after the storm.‖
―NFA has at least 1.4 million bags of rice strategically stored in its different warehouses in
Regions 4-8, Region 10 and Caraga. These regions are projected to be hit by Typhoon Samuel,‖
Escarez said in a statement on Wednesday.
―Our stocks will be available to local government units [LGUs] and other agencies for their relief
operations during calamities,‖ he added.
The NFA said its concerned field offices have already activated their operation centers that
would be open for 24 hours in preparation for the typhoon.
―The NFA has standing memorandum of agreements with relief agencies like the Department of
Social Welfare and Development, Office of Civil Defense, as well as LGUs allowing them to
withdraw rice on credit from the food agency for their relief operation anytime during calamities
and emergencies,‖ Escarez said.
Jasper Y. Arcalas

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas is a graduate of the UST Journalism School (Batch 2016). He currently covers agribusiness for the
BusinessMirror. He joined the news outfit in August 2016.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/government-allows-more-traders-to-import-rice/
Unlimited rice importation takes effect Thursday
Updated November 21, 2018, 4:08 PM
By Madelaine Miraflor
The guidelines that will pave the way for unlimited rice importation has already been approved
and signed by the NFA Council, the highest policy making body of the National Food Authority
(NFA).
Around 25,000MT of imported rice from Vietnam are being unloaded to trucks at the Naval
Supply Depot (NSD) in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (Jonas Reyes / MANILA BULLETIN)
This effectively allows everyone to apply for import permits and purchase rice abroad.

The guidelines came a day before the bicameral conference committee was set to take up the
Rice Tariffication Bill and consolidate the House and Senate versions of the law.
The Rice Tariffication Bill seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8178 or the Agricultural
Tariffication Act of 1996, which will replace the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice imports
with a specific tariff rate.
Supposedly, its passage would usher in the entry of more imported rice in the country.
However, the NFA Council already signed on Wednesday the guidelines on ―out quota
importation‖ on rice, which would also have the same outcome as the Rice Tariffication Bill.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that, starting today, anyone who is interested to
import rice could already apply for a permit from the NFA.
―The purpose of importation is to bring down the prices of rice. Bakit ko hihintayin (Why will I
still wait for the passage of Rice Tariffication Bill)? Paano kung tumagal pa yan? Magrereklamo
na naman kayo pag tumaas ang presyo ng bigas (What if it will still take time for it to be passed?
People will again complain if the price of rice shoots up),‖ Piñol said when asked about the
timing of the guidelines‘ issuance.
Under the out quota importation, anyone can import rice as long as he or she has the financial,
warehousing, retailing capacity to do so.
―There are guidelines on who would qualify to import. We will be very strict in the
implementation of the evaluation on the financial capability of the importer, his warehousing
capacity and his retailing capability,‖ Piñol said.
―These will effectively weed out fly by night importers who would apply for permits and then
would just sell it,‖ he added.
It was just on Wednesday when the NFA secured five foreign suppliers for the 500,000 metric
tons (MT) of rice it has been authorized to import. Next week, the NFA will also bid out supply
contracts for another 203,000 MT of rice through a government-to-government procurement
scheme.
Piñol said that if this bidding would be successful, the NFA will have additional 750,000 MT of
additional stocks.
With the out quota importation, the amount of imported rice that will enter the country
throughout the remaining part of the year could further shoot up.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/11/21/unlimited-rice-importation-takes-effect-thursday/
Agro exports can grow to USD 100 billion by 2022
FINANCIAL CHRONICLE

Published : Nov 21, 2018, 10:01 am IST
Updated : Nov 21, 2018, 10:01 am IST
Trade war between the US and China, direct export by SMEs can back the growth.
India can grab a good share of the $10 million US exports of these products. (File Photo)
New Delhi: Indian agro-exports valued $38.74 billion have a potential to grow to $100 billion by
2022 — if the export sector capitalises the opportunity opened up with the trade war between the
US and China and SMEs start exporting directly to the overseas buyers.
While increasing the import tariffs for products from the US, China has reduced tariffs on many
agricultural products from its Asia Pacific Trade Agreement partners comprising India, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh, South Korea and Laos. This could result in increasing the agro exports from
India.
According to a study by the commerce ministry, the ongoing trade war has opened a window of
opportunity for India to push for higher exports in 171 items, ranging from textiles to marine
products. This opens up an additional outbound shipment potential of up to $8.7 billion a year. A
large chunk of this export revenue can come from agri commodities and agro-based products.
―China has imposed a 25 per cent tariff on US produced soybean, while removing all tariffs on
imports through APTA countries. China‘s annual soybean import is of around 100 million
tonnes. This presents opportunity for Indian soybean producers to export to China. Similarly,
China is world's biggest importer of rice with import of more than five million tonne per year.

Recently, it has allowed exporting of non basmati rice from India. Total of 24 rice mills have
been cleared for exporting rice. India is the world's top rice exporter with 12.7 million tonne
export last fiscal. So, the potential to export rice to China is huge,‘ said Pawan Gupta, founder of
Connect2India.
The agro-products items that will help India make inroads into the American market include
shrimps and prawns, yarn, fabrics, garlic, berries, sugar confections, oilcake, leather, rubber and
wooden products.
Further, there are products like fresh grapes which were being exported to China. After China
increased its tariffs for such products from US, our exports stand to gain significantly. Products
such as fresh and dried oranges, corn, durum wheat and grain sorghum are not currently exported
to China. India can grab a good share of the $10 million US exports of these products.
―In the short to medium term, trade war opens up an opportunity. Besides capitalising this
opportunity, if our small and medium enterprises start exporting directly to overseas customers,
our $38.74 billion agri-exports can grow to $100 billion by 2022,‖ said Gupta.
According to him, only one per cent of the 65 million SMEs are exporting directly to buyers
abroad. They lack global visibility, awareness and competitiveness and hence end up selling their
products to merchant exporters.
―They have to share a good portion of the profits with the merchant exporters and so they cannot
become competitive in the market. They also are not aware of the demand in the international
market nor can they plan production according to the demand. Once they get directly in touch
with the buyers, their margins will improve, their visibility in the global market will become
better and awareness levels also will increase. This will help them double their exports,‖ he said.
Connect2India is currently serving as a platform for the SMEs to reach out to their overseas
buyers. Among the SMEs who have come on board largely deal with agro commodities and
products.
―If India has to touch $2 trillion trade by 2025 as envisaged by the government, the direct exports
by SMEs will have to grow to at least 10 per cent from the current one per cent,‘ he added.
http://www.asianage.com/business/in-other-news/211118/agro-exports-can-grow-to-usd-100-billion-by-
2022.html
Governance by alternative factsby Editorial
November 22, 2018 | 12:41 am
Since 2017, the government has been trumpeting its success in increasing local rice production.
Such was the feeling of pride that the president made it a special theme in his 2018 New Year

address to the nation where he claimed Nigeria has almost attained self-sufficiency in rice
production and boasted that importation of rice will be completely stopped this year.
We were quick to remind the president that although punitive tariffs have rolled back rice
importation through the seas and land borders, the reality is that parboiled rice (consumed mainly
by Nigerians) importation has risen exponentially in our neighbouring countries and virtually all
of these rice find their way into Nigeria, where it is even difficult to see local rice in the market.
But the government refused to listen and continued to believe and glory in its own facts – that it
has stopped rice importation and is on its way to making Nigeria self-sufficient in rice
production. The minister of agriculture even took the joke too far at a meeting of the Presidential
Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) and the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN)
presided over by president Muhammadu Buhari where he claimed Nigeria‘s import from
Thailand has decline by about 95 percent and has led to the collapse of seven rice mills in
Thailand and raised unemployment rate to four percent in the country. Ogbeh was quoted as
saying:
―… two weeks ago, the Ambassador of Thailand came to my office and said to me that we have
really dealt with them…But I asked what did we do wrong and he said unemployment in
Thailand was one of the lowest in the world, 1.2 per cent, it has gone up to four per cent because
seven giant rice mills have shut down because Nigeria‘s import has fallen by 95 per cent on rice
alone.‖

However, a simple check reveals that both the president and minister of agriculture were greatly
mistaken and the figures they advertised were not true. First, Thailand‘s rice export has been on a
continuous growth trajectory, reaching a record high of 11.2 million tonnes last year. Data shows
rice exports grew at 37.2 percent year-on-year.
Information available on the Rice Exporters Association of Thailand website shows Nigeria‘s
import of rice for the last three years has been negligible – 58, 260, 644, 131 and 23, 192 metric
tonnes in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Second, the unemployment figure in Thailand stands at 1.3 percent as at January 2018. So, it is
neither true that rice mills have been shut down due to Nigeria‘s low imports nor that
unemployment figure has gone up to four percent in Thailand.
But despite these facts being made available to the government, it stubbornly refused to listen
and continued to peddle its own facts.
Unable to take the lies further, the Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria had to openly fault the
minister‘s account of events.
Earlier this month, the United States Department of Agriculture busted the government‘s bubble
again when it released figures showing that rather than reducing, Nigeria‘s rice import has rather
increased and is projected to jump next year to 3.4 million metric tons, making Nigeria the
world‘s second biggest rice importer after China. Still, the government refused to accept the
reality arguing very blindly and foolishly that all it knows is that those rice came into the country
illegally and cannot be counted as real imports into Nigeria. How childish!
The government cannot continue to peddle and believe its own facts different from what is real
and acceptable world-wide. Granted this is a political season and the government is desperate to
sell itself and trumpet its achievements, it must be guided by respect for concrete facts and data
on the ground and stop the constant embarrassment it causes the country by its peddling of
rumours, half-truths and sometimes outright lies just to score cheap political points.
https://www.businessdayonline.com/opinion/analysis/editorial/article/governance-alternative-facts-2/
Rice millers‘ body resents working of FCI employees
Nov 20, 2018, 2:23 AM; last updated: Nov 20, 2018, 2:23 AM (IST)
Our Correspondent
Fatehgarh Sahib, Nov 19

A delegation of the Punjab Rice Millers‘ Association, led by national president Tarsem Saini, on
Monday met the General Manager (GM) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to air their
grievances over the working of the FCI staff at the grassroots level. They also presented a
memorandum of demands regarding the problems being faced by the millers.
Press secretary of the association Nakesh Jindal said the millers discussed various issues with the
GM and urged him to accept the weight of rice as per the weighing bridge.
They alleged that on the pretext of a price cut due to high moisture content, the technical staff
were blackmailed the millers as it was done manually. To bring transparency in moisture content
cut in rice, electronic digital meter should be installed at all FCI depots where rice is accepted.
They also demanded that sufficient technical staff and space should be provided to accept and
store the rice as millers have to wait for long. Besides, it would help in completing the rice
delivery process by March 31.
He said the millers sought relaxation in norms fixed by the FCI for getting 67-kg rice from 100-
kg paddy to 62 kg to save the industry. Due to unseasonal rain at the maturing stage of paddy,
the moisture content in the paddy had gone up to 22 per cent against the prescribed limit of 17
per cent. The millers apprehend that the outcome ratio may fall even below 62 kg. He said still
most of the paddy was stored in open due to which moisture level was not coming down.
He said the GM assured the delegation to do the needful.
Rice millers continue halt of paddy purchase in Kalahandi
Statement over paddy procurement continues in Kalahandi district due to non-cooperation of
rice millers.
Kharif paddy procurement,
Published: 20th November 2018 09:14 AM | Last Updated: 20th November 2018
Representational image.
By Express News Service
BHAWANIPATNA: Statement over paddy procurement continues in Kalahandi district due
to non-cooperation of rice millers. Kharif paddy procurement, which was scheduled to start on
November 1 in the district, is yet to begin through 30 per cent of the paddy has already been

harvested and the rest are in different stages of growth.
District Civil Supply Officer Shiba Prasad Dora said 74 Primary Agriculture Cooperative
Societies ( PACS) will open 172 paddy purchase centres (PCCs) in the district to procure
Kharif paddy and 75 millers had entered into an agreement to lift paddy from the PCCs and
mill rice from the paddy. ―Despite giving their consent to participate in the procurement
process, the millers are not coming forward to execute the agreement and deposit bank
guarantee on the plea of their pending demands,‖ he added.
On the other hand, president of Kalahandi District Rice Millers Association, Nalini Patjoshi
said the association had submitted their five-point charter of demands to the State
Government, which is yet to look into it. He said due to gunny bag depreciation charges, rice
custody, maintenance and transportation charges, millers are incurring heavy financial loss.
He said gunny bag depreciation charge of only `12.50 per quintal is allowed by the
Government against the actual cost of `30. As a result, the millers have been demanding
reimbursement of at least half of the actual cost. As far as custody and maintenance charge for
rice is concerned, the millers were paid `9.60 per quintal of paddy which was reduced to `4.80
last year. He alleged that for the last two years, the transportation charges have not been

finalised. ―Transportation cost has increased by 40 per cent due to the rise of fuel cost,‖
Patjoshi added.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2018/nov/20/rice-millers-continue-halt-of-
paddy-purchase-in-kalahandi-1900638.html
Odisha govt seeks report on rice supply delay
During 2012-13 and 2013-14, the millers were given paddy for custom milling of
rice.
Published: 21st November 2018 09:41 AM | Last Updated: 21st November 2018 09:41
AM | A+A A-
BERHAMPUR: The State Government has sought an action taken a report from Ganjam
district administration over inordinate delay in supplying custom-milled rice (CMR) worth Rs.
150 crore by the millers. General Manager (Procurement) of Odisha State Civil Supply
Corporation (OSCSC) Pradeep Kumar Gardia, in a letter, requested the Collector to inform
about actions taken against the errant millers. The letter also suggested that the administration
should go for a one-time settlement with the millers to avoid a heavy loss.
During 2012-13 and 2013-14, the millers were given paddy for custom milling of rice. While
some of the millers had delivered the CMR, 11 errant millers of the district are yet to deliver
it. After five years, the OSCSC took up the matter seriously and asked the Ganjam Collector
and the Civil Supply Officer (CSO) to take action against the millers.
These millers are Lingaraj Mill at Bhutasarasing, Mahavir Mill at Dharakote, Syamakali Mill,
Rudrakali Mill at Chhatrapur, Budhi Maa Thakurani Mill at Badinuagaon, Narayani Mill at
Tentuliapada, Maa Phula Thakurani Mill at Laxmanapalli, Sinhasini Mill, Subash Mill at
Majhigaon and Sankar Mill at Badakusastali.
Similarly, Mahavir Mill did not pay Rs. 4.32 lakh towards the paddy received. The OSCSC
had earlier asked the CSO to file criminal proceedings against the miller but to no avail.

Contacted, Civil Supply Officer BP Supkar said they have already apprised the higher
officials about the issue.
During Cyclone Phailin, the millers had received the paddy to deliver CMR but failed to do
so. Other three rice mills - Sibasakti, Siba Ranjan Panigrahy and Saunlei - also failed to
deliver rice despite repeated reminders. Steps are being taken for onetime settlement and if the
move fails to yield results, criminal proceedings would be initiated against them, he said.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2018/nov/21/odisha-govt-seeks-report-on-rice-supply-
delay-1901151.html
RegionTworicefarmerswhoplantedlatehitby paddy bug
By Staff Writer November 20, 2018
Dear Editor,
Rice farmers in Region Two who cultivated their crops late took heavy blows with the
infestation of paddy bugs at harvesting time. Some of them had to burn their crops down because
they cannot recover the total cost of their inputs. The paddy bug sucks ¾ of the ilky grains out
leaving only the chaff on the plants or wind paddy. Millers were paying some farmers $300 for a
bag of paddy at the late stage of harvesting, reaping a bag of paddy with a combine costs $300
so it make no sense for the farmers to reap the infested ripe rice in the fields at a loss. Some of
them gave the combine owners their entire crops free.
To transport a bag of paddy to the mills costs $200. Depending on the distance, those farmers
who harvested their crops here in Region Two at the early stage, who had minimal paddy bug
infestation were paid $ 2,300 for a bag of paddy. The millers were paying these farmers 25% of
the total sum for their paddy and they had to wait three months for another 25% of their
payment. This means that these farmers will break-even with their cultivation costs for the last
crop.
They will now have to borrow money from the banks to cultivate the upcoming crop and take
credit from their input suppliers to buy fertilizers, pay for the preparation of their lands, buy
drugs and pay their workmen to shy their paddy and spray the fields. At the moment those
farmers who have cultivated the new crop, wild ducks are destroying their young paddy
germination in the fields. These farmers have to spend day and night in the backdam to scare
away the wild ducks from eating out their paddy. This is another blow for the rice farmers.
Yours faithfully,
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/opinion/letters/11/20/region-two-rice-farmers-who-
planted-late-hit-by-paddy-bug/

We are not aware of incentives - SMEs
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20 2018
Small and Medium Enterprises discuss their challenges in business during an engagement with
Southern and Eastern Trade Information and Negotiation Institute in Fort Portal recently.
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE KASEMIIRE
In Summary
SMEs are missing out on financial support because they are not aware about some government
schemes, Christine Kasemiire writes.
By Christine Kasemiire
Lack of business information is limiting the growth of Agro-based Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in Fort Portal.

Small scale entrepreneurs gathered in Fort Portal town to discuss their grievances at the
invitation of Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute
(SEATINI) Uganda in partnership with Uganda Small Scale Industries Association recently.
Key concerns raised by the young businesses were lack of certification from Uganda National
Bureau of Standards (UNBS).
Mr Francis Tinka, a wine producer from Rwenzori Community Centre Organisation, expressed
his interest in supplying wine to supermarkets around the region but lacks certification from
UNBS.
Certification with the quality mark, which often is a prerequisite for supplying in supermarkets
costs Shs800,000 per product, a price he cannot bear.
Mr Tinka was not aware that UNBS recently reduced the price of certification to Shs125,000.
Honey manufacturers expressed similar concerns arguing that adulterated honey is killing their
market.
Challenges in packaging were raised by the manufacturers who said the cost is too high to
provide a sufficient profit margin. The wine manufacturers say wine packaging is done from
Kampala, increasing their transport costs.
―Sometimes you go there [to Kampala] and they tell you they are not ready so you have to go
back again,‖ Ms Christine Abwooli, a wine manufacturer said.
Rice millers in Fort Portal are tormented by the high cost of power which is destroying their
machines whenever there are outages.
Ms Faith Nyakairu, a rice miller at Nyakairu and Sons Grain Millers, spends more than Shs1.2m
per month with only one machine whose mortars are always getting blown by unstable
electricity.
Asked whether she is consuming domestic or commercial power and any knowledge about peak
hours, Ms Nyakairu revealed that she had no knowledge of the concepts.
Tax knowledge was also scanty among the cluster whose concerns centered on high taxation and
paying for taxes even while they are not making profits.

Asked if any of them has applied for government funding set aside for agri-businesses, the
entrepreneurs revealed that they did not know of any scheme.
The knowledge gap problem was clear for SEATINI, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Trade
who were in Fort Portal to understand challenges faced by the agro-based businesses.
Mr Humphrey Mutaasa, chief executive officer Agripoint Initiatives, informed the business
community about the government schemes set up for SMEs such as the Skills Development
Facility to equip youth with skills, Agricultural Credit Facility, a fund to provide medium and
long-term loans to agribusinesses at a rate of 10 per cent per annum.
Mr Gadson Abemigisha, senior economist at Ministry of Finance, highlighted the importance of
registering a business and being tax compliant if the SMEs are to benefit from government
initiatives.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/We-are-not-aware-incentives-SMEs/688616-4858876-
132ikn1z/index.html
8.2L quintal kharif paddy target for Malkangiri
The procurement of kharif paddy will start from November 25 in the district.
Published: 21st November 2018 08:26 AM | Last Updated: 21st November 2018 08:26
AM |

Representational image for paddy. (Photo | EPS/Udayashankar S)
MALKANGIRI: The procurement of kharif paddy will start from November 25 in the
district. This was decided at a district-level procurement committee meeting chaired by
Collector Manish Agarwal here.
The district administration has also decided to take steps to make the procurement process
transparent and farmer-friendly so that distress sale can be prevented. While in case of non-
irrigated fields, 16 quintals of paddy per acre would be procured from farmers, 19 quintals of
paddy per acre would be procured from irrigated fields.
According to Deputy Director, Agriculture Department, Malkangiri Rama Chandra Patnaik,
paddy was grown in 73,116 hectares (ha) in the current season against 73,116 ha last year.
As many as 33,097 farmers have registered for the procurement so far, he added. A total of 62
procurement centres (mandis), two more than last year, have been opened across seven
panchayats where eight different Large Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS)
would procure 8.2 lakh quintal paddy from the farmers in the first phase as per the Minimum
Support Price (MSP) announced by the Centre.

While the common variety paddy will be procured at `1750 per quintal, the Grade-A variety
paddy will be procured at `1770 per quintal, said District Civil Supply Officer Abhimanyu
Mohanty.
There will be a monitoring team and nodal officers for each mandi to supervise the process.
District-level control rooms will run round-the-clock in the supply office and the district-level
squad will be constituted for the purpose.
―Steps will be taken by Regulated Marketing Committees (RMCs) to sensitise farmers
through publicity. There will be no role for middlemen. Strict action will be taken against any
official or miller who will deviate from the policy of procurement and disturb the process,‖
the Collector said.
The RMCs will provide the required infrastructure facilities for the farmers in the paddy
purchasing centres, including temporary storage space, resting sheds, tarpaulin and polythene
sheets to cover purchased paddy and drinking water facilities. The facilities will be made
available before the commencement of the procurement process.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2018/nov/21/82l-quintal-kharif-paddy-target-for-
malkangiri-1901143.html
Rice sector in India, Thailand
International | Written by : IANS| Updated: Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:12 PM
Malaysia-based Saba Industries Chairman and CEO Malini Saba on Wednesday said the
privately-held company will invest $100 million in the rice sector in India and Thailand, as it
plans to export the staple by partnering with local farmers.
"We are looking at a $100 million investment between Thailand and India. And based on how

much more money we need to pump in, we will do that in the next phase. We plan to start our
first phase in Uttar Pradesh," Saba told IANS during her visit to India.
The global exporter of agricultural commodities plans to enter warehousing and drying space in
India's rice sector. The Kuala Lumpur-based firm will set up about 10 warehouses in Uttar
Pradesh and as many dryers with an aim to dry 1,000 tonnes rice per day.
"In the initial 2-3 years, we plan to focus on Uttar Pradesh, partnering with the farmers there. As
we did in other south-east Asian countries, we plan to support the farmers in India with farm
equipment and fertilisers for free and procure their rice and get it processed at local mills.
"To start with, we are looking at exporting 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes of rice, particularly Basmati,

per month. We have a ready clientele in the US, Middle East and other parts of the world," Saba
said.
Farm equipment will help farmers plant and harvest paddy faster, she said.
The founder of the $650-million company also deals in mining of iron ore and gold.
"Transportation and warehousing are the major challenges in the agriculture sector in most
countries like India. One of the things we discovered in India is that the drying capacity is quite
limited despite the presence of a number of mills. We plan to get in large dryers with capacities
ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes a month," she said.
After Uttar Pradesh, the company will replicate the model in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal
and later to other states to scale up its operations in India
https://www.suryaa.com/59551-saba-industries-to-invest-100-mn-in-rice-sector-in-india-thailand.html
Surprise discovery for Indian scientists: nanosheets can
also act as chemical reagents
Team from IIT Gandhinagar discovers that boron-rich nanosheets are chemical
reagents too, with potential applications in energy storage devices and next generation
sensors
By Dinesh C Sharma
Last Updated: Tuesday 20 November 2018
Picture for representation only: Boron-rich nanosheets can function as nanoscale factories to
manufacture nanoparticles by using metal ions as raw material. Credit: Getty Images

With extremely tiny materials — a millionth of a human hair — is allowing scientists to create
new materials and think of innovative applications for them. A group of Indian scientists has
developed a nanosheet which can also act like a chemical reducing agent. The discovery can
have potential applications in energy storage devices and next generation sensors.
The research team at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, has found that boron-rich
nanosheets, developed by them earlier this year, can also act as a chemical reagent.
During experiments, researchers noticed that boron nanosheets could remain afloat in water for
long durations. The nanosheets, they found, remained afloat due to hydride groups borrowed
from water. This observation led them to a new idea — using nanosheets in place of sodium
borohydride, a popular reagent used to chemically reduce gold salt. When gold salt was
introduced in dispersion of boron-rich nanosheets, it instantly reduced and formed gold
nanoparticles onto nanosheets without the need of any external help.
They found that this can be extended to synthesize platinum and silver nanoparticles by dipping
nanosheets in their respective salt solutions. This means boron-rich nanosheets can function as
nanoscale factories to manufacture nanoparticles by using metal ions as raw material.
―The formation of nanohybrids with gold and graphene provides the proof of concept that the
inherent reducing character of these nanosheets can be availed to create diverse mixed-
dimensional heterostructures in solution,‖ researchers observed in their study in
journal Nanoscale, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. ―Our initial experiments
indicate that the noble metal nanoparticle-nanosheet hybrids are excellent electrocatalysts for
hydrogen evolution reaction.‖
Dr. Kabeer Jasuja, who led the research team, said ―this is the first example of a nanosheet that is
also a reducing agent, and presents a new perspective on the chemistry of nanosheets. Our work
suggests that we can now design a wide range of boron-based nanohybrids in test tube. We have

shown this capability by preparing a borophene-graphene like interface in solution. The
concurrence of reducing nature and planarity makes these nanosheets an intriguing alternative
over conventional reducing agents.‖
"In essence, we have tamed down the otherwise reactive reducing agent borohydride by virtue of
nanosheets. This means that now we have access to a mild reducing agent for selective reduction
of electron rich organic moieties. This research has the potential to open up new avenues in
organic synthesis that will be crucial for pharmaceutical and polymer industries,‖ added Dr.
Arnab Dutta, a member of the research team.
The work was supported by seed funding from IIT Gandhinagar, INSPIRE Faculty Award
Research Grant, and Core research Grant from the Department of Science and Technology. The
team included Asha Liza James, Shikha Khandelwal, Dr. Arnab Dutta and Dr. Kabeer Jasuja.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/science-technology/surprise-discovery-for-indian-scientists-
nanosheets-can-also-act-as-chemical-reagents-62191
How to Cook Perfectly Fried Rice, According to Scientists
BY GENEVIEVE SCARANO 11.20.2018 :: 2:24PM EST
 Dead Fish Parts to Power Norwegian Cruise Ships by 2021
 Baby Mountain Lion Rescued From Home After Being Fed Bratwurst
Cooking fried rice isn‘t always easy, but two scientists have revealed the secret sauce behind
making the perfect batch: physics.
David Hu and Hungtang Ko, two Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, tapped into the
science of cooking to analyze how stir-fry and fried rice tossing techniques play a role in creating
the a delicious meal, reported Earth.com.
On Monday, both researchers presented their findings at the 71st Meeting of the American
Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics, a yearly conference held to discuss the
physics of fluids and dynamical theory updates.
At the meeting, Hu and Ko demonstrated how fried rice, a 1500-year-old dish, is cooked by wok-
tossing, the rapid motion of woks that allows fried rice to be cooked up to 1200 degrees Celsius

(2192 degrees Fahrenheit). For their research, they reported the wok-tossing movements of two
Taiwanese restaurant chefs to see how subtle movements can impact fried rice batches.
Photo Credit: Serge Bertasius/Getty Images
First, Hu and Ko taped the chefs in Taiwan cooking fried rice in woks. Following the recording,
they used the video footage to track each chef‘s wok movements. Making fried rice takes about
two minutes, but Hu and Ko broke the process down through repeated cycles and stages. Each
cycle was about one-third of a second, while four stages involved the chefs tilting the woks
forwards, backwards, and side-to-side.

According to Hu and Ko, an important part of cooking fried rice involves the continuous
juggling of the rice, so it doesn‘t make contact with the hot wok for too long. By shifting the wok
forwards, backwards, and sideways, chefs can make sure the ingredients are constantly cooking,
mixing, and cooling to avoid burned rice.
By cracking this math-meets-movement model for cooking fried rice, the researchers could
potentially develop an automated stir-fryer machine in the future, although, according to Hu, the
robots would need to master how to toss the fried rice first before cooking it.
https://www.geek.com/news/how-to-cook-perfectly-fried-rice-according-to-scientists-1761938/
Perfect Stir Fired rice recipe maths
News The Essential Daily Briefing Register Login News Opinion Lifestyle Culture Sport ibuys
Search Food & Drink Perfect stir-fried rice recipe is all a matter of maths, say scientists
Scientists analysed the movements of chefs as they cooked the rice The perfect stir-fried rice
recipe has been revealed [Getty Images] Jane Clinton3 daysMonday November 19th 2018 The i
newsletter News for free thinkers The recipe for the perfect stir-fried rice has been cracked by a
team of scientists. Researchers found it includes four distinct phases and two very specific
movements during the two-minute cooking process. The researchers, led by David Hu, a fluid
mechanics professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his doctoral student Hungtang
Ko, became interested in the physics of cooking and noticed that relatively little attention had

been paid to Chinese cuisine. Filmed Scientists from Georgia Institute of Technology filmed
chefs as they made stir-fried rice. They then tracked the movements of the wok and identified
repeating cycles lasting about a third of a second each. They broke down each of these 0.32-
second cycles into four phases composed of two oscillating motions: one in which the wok
moves toward and away from the chef, and a ―seesaw‖ motion, in which the wok is tilted
backward and forward.
The net effect, said Hu, is like ―flipping pancakes or juggling with rice. The key thing is that the
rice must leave the wok to cool, because the wok is very hot ―So, the chef is constantly flinging
the rice into the air, catching it, mixing it, and then flinging the ingredients again, until the
concoction is cooked and perfectly browned but not burned.‖ Robot The scientists said their
mathematical model could one day lend itself to an automated stir-frying robot. ―Once we came
up with a mathematical model for fried rice cooking,‖ Ko said. ―We realised it could lend itself
rather easily to a robotic design.‖ Previous attempts at stir-fry robots succeeded in mixing the
ingredients by shaking or rotation, added Hu, ―but none were able to throw the rice, which meant
they couldn‘t cook at the high temperatures needed to produce nicely carbonized grains.‖ More
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How CARBS could help you live longer… ‘bread, pasta and
rice help prevent dementia’
Once again, scientists claim to have found that high carb diets are more healthy for us than other
plans
By Miranda Larbi, Digital Health & Fitness Reporter
20th November 2018, 4:00 pm
Updated: 20th November 2018, 5:59 pm
EATING more carbs and less protein could be the key to living a long life and maintaining
healthy brain ageing, a new study suggests.
Despite all the chatter around protein these days, scientists from the University of Sydney in Oz
have concluded that its carbohydrates that are the real super-macronutrient.
Mmm lovely, life extending, heart health giving, gut friendly carbs...
They allowed mice to eat as much as they liked, so long as the food was low in protein and high
in carbs.
They found that the rodents' learning and memory were improved, regardless of age or gender,
prompting scientists to conclude that eating more carbs could protect against dementia.
The effects mirrored those of calorie restriction, which experts had previously found to boost
longevity in animals.
Another study by the same Australian university claims to have discovered that low protein, high
carb diets can also promote long life by improving heart and digestive health.
If you want to maintain good gut health and digestion, then you want to make sure you're eating a
balanced diet
Lead researcher PhD student Devin Wahl said: "We have close to 100 years of quality research
extolling the benefits of calorie restriction as the most powerful diet to improve brain health and
delay the onset of neuro-degenerative disease in rodents.
"However, the majority of people have a hard time restricting calories, especially in Western
societies where food is so freely available.

"It shows a lot of promise that we have been able to replicate the same kind of gene changes in
the part of the brain responsible for memory that we also see when we severely restrict calories."
According to the team's senior author Professor David Le Couteur, some human communities
have stuck and benefitted from this kind of diet plan from day - including the people of Okinawa
in Japan and Meditterian communities.
Mediterranean diets are often used as role models for healthy, life-extending eating
Prof Le Couteur, professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Sydney, said: "The
traditional diet of Okinawa is around nine per cent protein, which is similar to our study, with
sources including lean fish, soy and plants, with very little beef.
"Interestingly, one of their main sources of carbohydrate is sweet potato."
For the study, the mice were fed complex carbs derived from starch, and casein protein found in
cheese and milk.
To assess what was happening to their brains the researchers focused on the hippocampus, the
chief brain region involved in learning and memory.
Mice were found to have better brain function after eating high carb diets. The brain feeds off glucose -
which only comes from carbs
Prof Le Couteur said: "The hippocampus is usually the first part of the brain to deteriorate with
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
"However, the low-protein high-carbohydrate diet appeared to promote hippocampus health and
biology in the mice, on some measures to an even greater degree than those on the low-calorie
diet."
But there are some limitations to the study - notably that it involves mice and not humans.
Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer‘s Society, commented: "This diet appears to
promote some aspects of healthy brain ageing in mice, but we don‘t know if it would have the
same effects in people or whether it could impact the risk of developing dementia.
What are carbs and why are they so important?
There's so much confusion and fear when it comes to carbs.
Carbohydrates are anything that isn't a protein or fat. Fruit is a carb. Veg is a carb. Sugar is a
carb.
Your brain needs carbs in order to function because it runs exclusively off glucose - the sugar
your body converts carbs into. Without any glucose, you literally cannot think.

The problem with low or no carb diets is that dieters tend to eat fats and proteins exclusively,
missing out on tonnes of vital vitamins, nutrients and roughage.
"Diet, medication, lifestyle, stress can all affect our gut microbiome," nutritionist Sarah Flower
told The Sun.
"A processed low-carb diet is not good, but a real food low-carb diet can be. Sugar and carbs
negatively affect our gut bacteria.
"Low carb/keto done correctly should be full of good gut boosting foods, including fibre from
the vegetables.
"Most people think of Atkins or just a diet of meat and fat when they hear low-carb or keto but it
is more Mediterranean style: real food, vegetables, nuts, seeds, good healthy fats, oily fish, meat,
dairy — nothing more than a real food diet cutting out grains, sugars and all processed foods."
So if you want to lose weight, by all means, cut out the bread, pastry, cakes but you'd be mad to
get rid of the nutritious veg.
"Although this study looked at brain ageing generally and not dementia specifically, mounting
evidence highlights the relationship between lifestyle factors such as diet and dementia risk, so
Alzheimer‘s Society is funding a long-term study of 700 people at risk of dementia to better
understand these links.
"With nothing yet to slow or stop dementia, prevention is key - and we know simple changes like
eating healthy and exercising regularly can reduce our risk, so why not swap box sets and
biscuits for a brisk walk."
The study also doesn't specify which kinds of starchy complex carbs these mice were fed, which
means that they could have been given a nutritious potato... or a cake.
The Meditteranean diet is really heavy in fresh veg, grains, olive oil and nuts. It also tends to
include fish, meat and cheese but in pretty small quantities.
So it wouldn't be surprising if this study followed that kind of idea - rather than allowing mice to
gorge themselves of the types of sugary, fatty carbs we might feast on (entire pizza, anyone?).
Plans like Atkins might help you lose weight but they also lack in vital nutrients
"When dietitians and nutritionists advise having complex carbohydrates, however, they are
usually referring to whole grain foods and starchy vegetables which are more slowly absorbed
than refined carbohydrate," says Diabetes UK.

Losing weight isn't necessarily synonymous with health either, so having a diet rich in grain and
veg might not help you shed weight as quickly as a zero-carb plan but it'll leave you healthier.
And this is just the latest in a number of recent studies into the health benefits of a carb-rich diet.
Back in August, we reported that scientists from Boston, USA, had conducted a human study and
found that people who ate fewer carbs had a 20 per cent higher risk of premature death.
They suggested an optimum level of 50 to 55 per cent of calories from carbohydrates - which are
typically found in potatoes, pasta and bread.
https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/3414894/high-carb-diets-could-help-prevent-dementia-and-make-you-
live-longer/
Yuan Longping, 88, shares major Chinese science prize
2018-11-20 11:04 GMT+8
Yuan Longping, known as the "world father of hybrid rice," has jointly won the life science
section of the Future Science Prize with two other scientists.
"There is no limit to scientific research, and I still have a dream – which is hybrid rice going
global and covering the whole world," Yuan said in a video address at the 2018 award
ceremony in Beijing on Sunday.

"I hope hybrid rice can benefit people around the world and play a big role in enhancing world
food security."
The 88-year-old agricultural scientist shared the prize along with Zhang Qifa and Li Jiayang for
their pioneering work in breeding new rice varieties with high yield and superior quality.
Yuan said hybrid rice can feed an additional 70 million Chinese people every year, making huge
contributions to ending hunger in the country.
Yuan is a pioneer in research into hybrid rice which he first developed in 1974.
Touted as "China's Nobel Prize" as both are privately funded, the Future Science Prize was
instituted by a group of entrepreneurs and scientists in 2016 to honor top Chinese scientists in
life science, physical science, mathematics and computer science.
(Top image: Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping. /VCG Photo)
(Source: China Daily)
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774d78497a4e30457a6333566d54/share_p.html
From the Editor: Wheat genome breakthrough worth the wait
Photo: Adobestock
11.20.2018
By After years of standing on the sideline, watching game-changing scientific developments occur in the
corn, soybean and rice industries and seeing wheat acreage dwindle as a result, the global wheat industry
and the flour millers that process the ancient food grain finally have their own exciting breakthrough to
celebrate.
A group of scientists from 20 countries, known as the International Wheat Genome Sequencing
Consortium (IWGSC), in August announced that after 13 years and a $70 million investment,
their mission was finally accomplished with the publication of a detailed description of the
highly complex genome of bread wheat, the world‘s most widely cultivated crop.

Why did it take so long for scientists to solve the bread wheat genome code compared to the
relatively short process for other grains such as corn, soybeans and rice? Given that wheat DNA
is five times larger than the human genome (one of the wheat chromosomes is almost as large as
the entire soybean genome), it‘s amazing they were able to successfully complete this task at all.
The importance of this accomplishment cannot be overstated. Wheat is the staple food for more
than one-third of the global human population and accounts for almost 20% of the total calories
consumed by humans worldwide, more than any other single food source, so this is a victory to
be celebrated beyond the wheat and milling industries.
The successful wheat genome sequencing paves the way for the development of wheat varieties
with higher yields, which will be crucial going forward as the world‘s population is expected to
grow to nearly 10 billion people by 2050.
Of equal importance, it will lead to enhanced nutritional quality, improved sustainability and
varieties that are more adaptable to climate change.
Although the wheat genome sequencing is completed, the work of the IWGSC is far from over.
The next step for the IWGSC will be focusing on producing a genome sequence-based toolbox
for breeders and scientists to use for wheat improvement. The IWGSC said researchers will
undertake several projects, including maintaining and improving the current reference genome to
ultimately produce a ―Gold Standard‖ reference genome sequence that is manually and
functionally annotated; sequencing other varieties of wheat to represent the worldwide diversity
of wheat; and continuing to develop a database for the wheat community to access all the
genomic resources.
The agronomic impact of the genome sequencing of wheat will be profound. Already, it is
believed the key genes responsible for the susceptibility of certain wheat varieties to preharvest
sprouting have been identified. While the prospect of developing varieties that will produce
greater yields, are more tolerant to drought and more resistant to disease will mean greater profit
for wheat producers, those further down the food supply chain, such as millers and bakers, are
eager to see what processing, end-use and nutritional characteristics can be improved.
For the partnership between industry and the scientific community to work, millers and bakers
must clearly communicate with scientists the types of properties they are seeking so that
researchers can search for specific genes that impact milling and baking qualities. Genes
determining flour yield are sure to be key targets as are genes that impact protein levels, starch
quality and other characteristics that affect the processing, baking and nutritional quality of
wheat-based foods.
After being stuck in neutral all these years, wheat now finds itself on a fast track to a bright and
innovative future. The international group of scientists who succeeded in this wheat genome
sequencing endeavor should be thanked and praised for their efforts.
https://www.world-grain.com/articles/11265-from-the-editor-wheat-genome-breakthrough-worth-the-wait

Bloggers and Consumers Experience "New Style" Sushi in
Tokyo
By Sarah Moran
TOKYO, JAPAN -- USA Rice hosted a promotional event here last week targeting food
bloggers and consumers who entered and won an online "Wanna Eat U.S. Medium Grain"
contest.
Kyara Kyara, a well-known chef and food blogger, was the center of attention at the promotion
as she demonstrated the making of two non-traditional sushi dishes, "Salmon Sunshine Sushi,"
and "Lollipop Sushi."
Jim Guinn, USA Rice director of USA Rice Asia Promotion Programs, who attended the event
made a presentation about the California rice industry and got feedback from all the contest
winners on their impressions of U.S. medium grain.
"All the 'wannabe' sushi chefs and food bloggers thought the rice quality was excellent and were
surprised to find they had difficulty distinguishing Calrose from traditional rice varieties in this
cuisine," said Guinn. "Many also thought this type of non-traditional sushi could be prepared at
home as compared to traditional sushi that takes years of training to master."
"New Style" sushi is the newest strategy USA Rice has employed in Japan promotions beginning
earlier this year, and also featured in the annual Chefs' Contest, the premier promotions event in
August (see USA Rice Daily, August 30, 2018).
Project aims to bring wild rice back to Wisconsin
By Associated Press |
Posted: Sat 10:20 AM, Nov 10, 2018
HOWARD, Wis. (AP) -- Federal, state and local groups have formed a partnership in Wisconsin
to start a restoration project to help wild rice grow.
WLUK-TV reports that crews went out this month to spread more rice.
Betsy Galbraith is a biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
She says crews spread one ton of wild rice over 19 acres in an area of Lower Green Bay called
Peters Marsh.

Galbraith says wild rice used to flourish in the area and the project aims to re-establish the crop.
Experts say that the planting project is in its third year and rice is beginning to grow in some
areas.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduate students are also providing research as part of the
project.
https://www.nbc15.com/content/news/Project-aims-to-bring-wild-rice-back-to-Wisconsin-
500203601.html
What Will Persuade Rice Farmers In Punjab To Stop Setting
Fires In Their Fields?
November 21, 20184:59 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
LAUREN FRAYER

An Indian farmer burns rice stalks after harvesting the crop in fields on the outskirts of Amritsar
in Punjab.
Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images
Each autumn, farmer Amandeep Singh has just a few days to prepare his fields for the next crop.
He must clear stubble left over from the rice harvest, before planting wheat, which grows over
winter.
Amandeep, 42, is from a long line of farmers in India's breadbasket, in the northern state of
Punjab. Like his father and grandfather before him, he'd always burned the residue known as rice
straw – the dry stalks of the plant after the grain and chaff have been removed. It's the fastest,
cheapest way to prepare his fields for the next planting.
But when farmers in Punjab set fire to leftover rice straw, smoke wafts across northern India –
poisoning the air 200 miles away in Indian capital, New Delhi, and beyond. It's even visible
in NASA photos taken from space. The Indian government estimates that more than 103 million
acres of land in Punjab are under cultivation – about 83 percent of the total land area.
Amandeep grew up breathing that smoke. "It smells horrible," he says. "And it hurts our other
crops, because there isn't proper sunlight for them, when the sky clouds over with smoke."
On some days, the air quality in New Delhi is 20 times worse than what the World Health
Organization deems safe. Of the ten most polluted cities in the world, according to the WHO,
nine of them are in northern India.

With a growing outcry over pollution, politicians, environmentalists and farmers themselves are
examining ways to cut back on crop-burning. Local governments have banned it. Engineers are
developing new machines to mulch rice stubble instead. And inventors are probing ways to make
paper pulp and biofuel from what used to be a waste product.
This year, Amandeep, who recently became a father, decided he'd had enough. So he broke with
tradition, and bought a machine to mulch his rice straw instead. He says about half of the farmers
in his village have done the same.
The state government of Punjab banned all crop-burning five years ago, but the order was rarely
enforced. Now, amid outrage over pollution in New Delhi, Punjabi officials are under pressure to
enforce the law – though some dispute how much of the problem is from their crop burning
rather than from traffic or industry in urban areas.
Starting this year, farmers who want to buy mulching machines can get help from the state
government. Under a new subsidy program, Punjab will reimburse individual farmers for half the
cost of the new equipment. If eight farmers go in on a machine together, the state government
will pay 80-percent of the cost. The cheapest ones go for the equivalent of about $1,750.
The machines include something called a Happy Seeder, which attaches to the back of a tractor
and mulches rice straw. There are other models that fit on larger combine harvesters.
But farmers need to have a tractor to begin with, and they must learn how to operate the new
attachments and buy diesel to run them. Not everyone can afford it.
"A tractor will consume more fuel [with an added attachment]. Labor is also required, even if the
initial cost is mostly covered by a government subsidy," says Manjeet Singh, an agricultural
engineer who heads the machinery department at Punjab Agricultural University and is not
related to Amandeep Singh. "Farmers are aware this pollution is not good. But when cost is
involved, that is on their minds."
Manjeet sends his graduate students door to door to persuade farmers to mulch rather than burn.
They explain the government subsidies and demonstrate how the mulching machines work. They
also tell farmers about scientific research that shows mulching can actually boost their crop
yields by grinding nutrients from the rice straw back into the soil.
It's still early, but Manjeet believes he's seeing some change. He estimates that up to 70 percent
of farmers in the area around the city of Ludhiana, where he is based, burned their rice stubble
last year. This year, he estimates it's dropped to around 40 percent. He's working to collect
figures for all of Punjab by the end of the crop-burning season, in early 2019.
Despite such efforts, India's air pollution is only getting worse.
At an outdoor laboratory at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi – the local equivalent of
Stanford University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – some of India's best and
brightest are working on this problem. They've come up with another alternative to crop-burning:
Rake up the rice straw and sell it, to make paper pulp, fabrics and biofuel.
"The farmers, they're incentivized by the profit. They don't have to worry about their straw lying
there anymore," says inventor Pracheer Dutta, 24, co-founder of a start-up company called Kriya
Labs. "Somebody will come and take it from them, and pay them for it. That's all they want."

Dutta is currently experimenting on a more than 1,300-pound batch of rice straw collected from
farmers in the Indian state of Haryana, which borders Punjab and the capital New Delhi. First he
chops up the straw into roughly half-inch pieces and rinses them in a repurposed clothes washing
machine, to get rid of dirt and dust. Then he puts the straw in another machine that heats it.
"It's basically a big pressure cooker," Dutta says. The straw gets mixed with a solvent, heats up
and breaks down into fibers, he explains.
Dutta is marketing those fibers to tableware manufacturers. He's signed deals with local
factories, and plans to debut paper plates made from rice straw next spring. It's cheaper than
making paper pulp from wood, he says.
Back up north in Punjab, not everyone is convinced.
Another local farmer, Kuldeep Singh, has begrudgingly stopped burning his rice straw. But he
doesn't think it's the best thing for his crops.
"The local government banned crop-burning here. That's why I stopped. I don't want to pay a
fine. Otherwise I would have kept doing it," says 55-year-old Kuldeep, who is not related to
Manjeet Singh or Amandeep Singh. "Burning sterilizes the soil. It kills pests."
Kuldeep argues with environmental campaigners who visit his farm and rattle off data on how
mulching is better, because it leaves nutrients in the soil. He tells them how last year, rats
infested his rice paddy, just after the harvest. The only way to get rid of them was to burn the
straw, he says. The campaigners, however, note that "sterilizing" the soil needlessly kills
microorganisms that can actually be beneficial to agriculture.
He's also worried about fungus. If he leaves the straw on the same ground where he's planting
wheat seeds and watering them, he's worried the straw may grow moldy and hurt his winter
wheat yield.
Visiting campaigners try to reassure him, that fungus will not grow on his straw and that more
nutrients will remain in his soil. His yields will be better, they say.
But Kuldeep is adamant. He doesn't like academics coming and telling him what's best for his
land. He wants to farm the way his ancestors always have.
"There are a few farmers who have a traditional way of thinking, and it becomes very difficult to
change their mindset. It takes a long time,," says Subhash Chandra Sharma, an engineer who
works for Krishi Vigyan Kendra, a community outreach arm of the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research. "But this, I can say, this is the beginning of a noble cause."
NPR producer Furkan Latif Khan contributed to this report.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/11/21/669227134/what-will-persuade-rice-farmers-in-
punjab-to-stop-setting-fires-in-their-fields

Think Rice Road Trip Concludes in California
By Michael Klein
SAN DIEGO, CA -- The third and final leg of the Think Rice Road Trip wrapped up here this
weekend after another 1,000 miles that saw schedule and route adjustments because of the
wildfires ravaging the state. More than 650 household Aroma rice cookers and 700 pounds of
U.S.-grown rice were distributed at five consumer events while three events in Los Angeles were
canceled and two San Diego events were postponed until next month.
The Think Rice Road Trip has now covered 5,000 miles across nine states with the USA Rice
promotion team interacting directly with consumers, giving away Aroma rice cookers, U.S.-
grown rice, recipes, cooking tips, and more to receptive and grateful consumers.
The team began the leg last week in Sacramento and California rice country just south of the area
where the Camp Fire was beginning. After stops to pick up donations from Farmers Rice Co-op
and The Sun Valley Rice Company, the now-famous #RideWithRice truck paid a visit to the
Marysville farm of USA Rice Chairman Charley Mathews, Jr., where they recorded another
episode of RideWithRice TV with Rice Farming Magazine Editor Vicky Boyd riding along.

Making donations
and trading trucks
The truck left Yuba City as Camp Fire evacuees were beginning to arrive and headed south to
San Francisco to take part in the Clement Street Farmers Market and the Stonestown Farmers
Market on Sunday. Market managers said attendance seemed light because of wildfire-related
air quality concerns of residents, however crowds thronged the Think Rice booth and more than
100 cookers were distributed at each event.
"Farmers markets continue to be a strong spot for us since shoppers are there specifically looking
for food, and perhaps more than other consumers are very interested in the story of their food -
which we are happy to tell them," explained Cameron Jacobs, manager of domestic promotion
for USA Rice who was on the trip.
The team then visited nearby Emeryville, California, for an extremely popular event at Ruby's
Café in the bustling neighborhood that is home to the headquarters of Pixar Animation Studios,
Clif Bar, and Peet's Coffee among several other well-known brands. The team also made a
donation next door at Alameda County Fire Station No. 35 that had several pieces of equipment
and firefighters working at the Camp Fire some 155 miles north.
It's all about the message
From there the team headed south with a consumer event at Nob Hill Market, a Raley's store, in
Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world, and donations at the St. Joseph's Family Center that
provides hot meals to the needy in the area.
The next stop on the tour was in San Luis Obispo where Bang the Drum Brewery, that makes a
popular gluten free beer with California brown rice, had invited the team to participate in their
weekly trivia contest.
Attendees were surprised to see the truck, but excited to learn about rice - and they were smart to
listen and ask questions - since the third round was all about rice. The twelve questions covered
basic geographic and market trivia and ranged from culinary ("what's the name of the Italian rice
dish made with Arborio rice?") to commercial ("who is the largest user of rice in the United

States?") and from crowing ("what percentage of U.S. grown rice contains GMOs?") to trick
("which grows faster, white or brown rice?") (Answers: risotto, Anheuser-Busch, zero, and All
rice is brown rice when it starts out.)
The team made another donation at The People's Kitchen, a group that coordinates feeding
programs for 45 area groups and then set off on the longest single day drive of the trip - 400
miles to San Diego's Historic Gaslamp Quarter. (The route was less than direct as they had to
avoid trouble areas of Los Angeles.)
The truck is now being serviced and detailed and will be ready for action during the USA Rice
Outlook Conference next month. The truck and team will be participating in a public charitable
event on December 5 and a military family food distribution on December 10. And in between
those events, the truck will be on display at the USA Rice booth in the Exhibit Hall.
Jacobs reminds readers that some lucky person is going to win this piece of rice history during
the Conference. The #RideWithRice truck is being raffled off and the winning ticket will be
pulled on December 7. Only 1,000 tickets are being sold so if you haven't purchased a ticket yet,
you better do it soon.
Creating buzz all over California
USA Rice Daily
The physics of fried rice
Making the most popular dish in the world turns out to be surprisingly complicated. Natalie
Parletta reports.
Highly skilled: wok-frying rice is much more complicated than it appears.
KO, ET AL
Mechanical engineers have revealed the extraordinary complexities involved in cooking perfect
fried rice.

Making an authentic stir fry requires quickly tossing ingredients in a wok over extremely high
temperatures up to 1200 degrees Celsius – and fried rice is one of the most ubiquitous, and one
of the most challenging, variants.
Doctoral student Hungtang Ko from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US videotaped
expert chefs making the dish at two restaurants in Taiwan. (He had to explain to the restaurant‘s
patrons that they weren‘t going to be on TV; rather that the filming was part of a serious
scientific experiment.)
Back in his lab, Ko and lead researcher David Hu analysed the videos in order to break down the
kinematics of wok-tossing.
The results revealed a pattern of continuous cycles, each lasting about one-third of a second,
extending over two minutes.
Each cycle comprised four phases, involving two alternating wok movements: toward-and-away
from the chef, and a seesawing backward-forward tilt.
―The high-speed tossing motion … involves four independent stages, whose translation and
rotation allows the wok's rounded sides to act like a ski-jump for the fried rice,‖ says Ko.
The overall effect, explains Hu, is like ―flipping pancakes or juggling with rice‖.
Effectively, the chef continually tosses the rice into the air, catches it, mixes it then tosses it
again over the blistering heat. This mixing and cooling effect allows the rice to brown nicely on
all sides without burning.

Ko was astonished at what they discovered when they broke the movement down. ―It‘s very
interesting because it‘s counterintuitive,‖ he says.
He explains that you would expect both ends of the wok to go in the same direction, like when
tossing a pancake in a flat pan.
―But it‘s not,‖ he says, ―If you look closely, one end is going clockwise and the other is going
counter-clockwise. So, this isn‘t trivial mechanics – it‘s a lot more complicated.‖
He suggests the process most likely creates a Maillard reaction, named after French chemist
Louis-Camille Maillard. It is the chemical interaction between amino acids and carbohydrates
under high heat that produces hundreds of different flavour compounds – and leads to the
trademark browning of fried meat.
Wok-tossing stir fries is clearly a special art. And it‘s not easy. ―It‘s hard and it‘s fast and it takes
a lot of strength,‖ says Ko.
The physics of coffee
PHYSICS
However, the pan itself never actually leaves the stove top. ―We show that the wok is always
contacting the stove and getting support from it, so the chef doesn‘t have to lift it,‖ he notes.
Previously, researchers have devised mathematical models that they say could help robots make
a perfect stir-fry, following a growing trend of robochefs.
Putting them into practice, they succeeded in sometimes mixing the food with a shaking or
rotating motion. ―But none were able to throw the rice, which meant they couldn‘t cook at the
high temperatures needed to produce nicely carbonated grains,‖ explains Hu.
Ko recently presented his findings at the American Physical Society‘s Division of Fluid
Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting, held in Atlanta, Georgia.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/physics/the-physics-of-fried-rice
Free red beans and rice lunch for all in New Orleans on
Wednesday
Updated Nov 20; Posted Nov 20
Red beans and rice. (Photo by Todd A. Price)
By Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

amaloney@nola.com
The Times-Picayune
No matter where you live in New Orleans a hot bowl of free red beans and rice won‘t be far
way on Wednesday (Nov. 21). That‘s because Camellia Brand and Dickie Brennan &
Company have teamed up to dish out free bowls of New Orleans' iconic dish in each of New
Orleans‘ five city council districts.
The two companies wanted to celebrate the start of the holiday season New Orleans-style,
offering folks a chance to stop and take a break as they prepped for Thanksgving.
Beans will be given out Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in each of these New Orleans
neighborhoods.
District A: Carrollton/Hollygrove Senior Center, 3300 Hamilton St.
District B: Keller Public Library, 4300 S. Broad Ave.
District C: Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive
District D: Norman Mayer Public Library, 3001 Gentilly Blvd.
District E: Sanchez Recreation Center, 1616 Caffin Ave.
https://www.nola.com/eat-drink/2018/11/free-red-beans-and-rice-for-all-in-new-orleans-on-
wednesday.html
VarMix aids farmers in stress-prone areas
POSTED ON NOV - 21 - 2018

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Varietal Mixture (VarMix) is viewed to be a possible solution to the vulnerability of single
variety to diseases, especially under stress-prone areas.
The study To Mix or Not to Mix: Compatibility of Selected Rice Varieties to Increase Yield
Stability under Stress-Prone Areas of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) showed
that the mixture of selected released varieties has the mechanism to increase and stabilize yield,
manage pests and diseases, and achieve desirable performance on limited water source. These
varieties must have comparative qualities despite having dissimilar origins and varied functions.
―The novelty of this research is exploring the use of released varieties not only in an irrigated
lowland where enough water is available, but also in unfavorable areas. VarMix is recommended
as an alternative technology or a stop gap addressed to problematic locations,‖ Imeldalyn
Pacada, project leader of VarMix said.
In cooperation with farmers, researchers, and extension officers, this project tested six varieties
namely: NSIC Rc 216, Rc 298; Rc 300, NSIC Rc 238, Rc 214, and PSB Rc 82 in 13 selected
areas of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The selection of varieties was based on the similarities of their maturity, grain shape, amylose
content, and genetic composition. No pesticide application was made and existing farmers‘
practices were adapted in each experimental site.
In below ground environment, initial VarMix mechanism investigation was carried out through
the following method: drought tolerance evaluation at seedling stage, salinity tolerance at
seedling stage, and root system under changing soil moisture.
According to Roel Suralta who analyzed the root system development of VarMix, there were
appropriate types of varieties that can be mixed. They discovered that the mixture of drought-
tolerant and drought-susceptible varieties were compatible and aided each other to survive.
Based on the results, drought-tolerant variety supplied water to the drought-susceptible variety
when the soil dried out.

A farmers‘ association in Brgy. Binangkilan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, one of the experimental set-ups
of the study tried the VarMix technology and experienced positive results.
―Before when we used single variety and drought occurred, our harvest was not satisfying.
However, when we tried VarMix, our neighboring farm was even surprised as our crops stood
abundantly despite the dryness of the soil,‖ Aurelio Simora, Vice President of Binagkilan
Farmers Association attested.
Aside from its good yield even in problematic conditions, the VarMix team also assessed if
quoted prices and eating quality were comparable with the known single varieties in the market.
Their survey concluded that in terms of the rice characteristics and properties, such as
tenderness, color and eating quality, VarMix has no major difference compared to single
varieties.
Accordingly, VarMix is a potential alternative rice technology for yield stability with the
recommended right mix under stress-prone areas.
WRITTEN BY ZENNY AWING
http://www.philrice.gov.ph/varmix-aids-farmers-stress-prone-areas/
Rice tariffication law certain of year-end passage–Villar
By Jasper Y. Arcalas
November 21, 2018
In File Photo: A worker carries a sack of rice on his head at a rice store in Makati City.
MORE than a year after its commitment, the Philippines might finally be able to scrap its
quantitative restriction (QR) on rice before the year ends as a rice tariffication bill nears its
passage into law.
Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, said she is
optimistic that President Duterte would sign the rice tariffication bill into law before Congress
takes its Christmas break.
Lawmakers will hold their last session on December 12 and resume work on January 14.―Yes, I
think so,‖ Villar told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the launching of the Philippine
Rise Photo Exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History on Monday evening, when asked
if Duterte could sign the rice tariffication into law before legislators take a break.
Villar said Congress will hold a bicameral conference committee on Thursday to marry the
disagreeing provisions between Senate Bill 1998 and House Bill 7735.

Both bills seek to convert the QR on rice imports into tariffs, a commitment made by the
Philippines to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Philippines has been in violation of its WTO obligation since it committed to convert the
rice QR into tariffs by July 1, 2017.
Villar is adamant about changing some provisions of SB 1998 that are criticized by various
farmer groups and nongovernment organizations. Villar said they passed a ―good‖ rice
tariffication bill, which according to her, was studied and deliberated on by 22 senators.
It is better, the senator argued, to pre-allocate and disburse directly the portions of the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Rice Fund) to the implementing agencies to ensure the
proper utilization of the money.
Under SB 1998, the Rice Fund will be established from the tariff collections from rice imports
that will be earmarked to the rice sector.

Furthermore, the Rice Fund would have an automatic annual P10-billion budget with the
exceeding amount coming from tariff revenues being allocated by Congress.
―We accepted the P10-billion annual allocation so that we would not await the collection from
the Department of Finance. Because it would take time to collect the tariffs and allocate it to
them. At least they [rice farmers] are assured of P10 billion,‖ Villar explained.
―I do not think the rice fund would be politicized,‖ Villar added.
The senator said they included that provision to avoid the fate of the Agricultural
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Acef), which was only able to collect P13 billion to date.
Villar added that it would be more unsafe and complicated if the Rice Fund were to be handled
and allocated by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
―I did a study [on] why [rice farmers] are not competitive and not profitable. And the reasons are
the lack of mechanization and use of bad-quality seeds,‖ she said.
―That‘s why we put the fund directly [in] PhilRice [Philippine Rice Research Institute] to be in
charge of seed extension. Because if you put the money with DA, it might allocate the fund
somewhere else,‖ she added.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/rice-tariffication-law-certain-of-year-end-passage-villar/
Full text of China-Philippines joint statement (Part 2)
Xinhua, November 21, 2018
17.Both sides will give full play to the role of the Sino-Philippine Center for Agricultural
Technology (PhilSCAT) Technical Cooperation Phase (TCP) III, and promote cooperation in
the fields of high quality seeds, agriculture infrastructure and machinery. Both sides will step up
cooperation in fishery. The Philippines appreciates China's donation of the first batch of
100,000 grouper seeds in 2017 and assistance in relevant capacity building, and welcomes the
upcoming donation of another 100,000 grouper seeds in November 2018 and 15,000 fresh water

fish seeds for broodstock development early next year. Both sides will exchange best practices
and cooperate in projects on poverty alleviation.
18.Both sides agree to promote cooperation in science and technology through exchange of
experts and scientists, best practice sharing, joint researches, high tech park cooperation, joint
organization of seminars, symposiums, and workshops, and other forms of cooperation mutually
agreed upon under the framework of the Joint Commission Meeting on Science and
Technology. Both sides agree to implement collaborative efforts on rice research, bamboo post-
harvest and processing, renewable energy, green oil from cashew, traditional medicine, and
technology transfer. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China also expresses readiness
to host young Filipino scientists to China for the Talented Young Scientists Program (TYSP), so
as to support the capacity building of the Philippines. Both sides welcome the adoption of the
ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation during the
21st ASEAN-China Leaders' Meeting.
19.Both sides will encourage cooperation in the area of information and communications
technology (ICT) to improve their respective technology and service capabilities.
20.Both sides recognize that the growing Chinese tourist arrivals in the Philippines over the past
years have contributed to the economic growth of the Philippines. Both sides will encourage
their citizens to travel to each other's country, strengthen cooperation in tourism infrastructure
development and encourage airlines to open more direct flights between cities of the two
countries, in order to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges.
21.The two sides fully recognize the importance of education exchanges including technical
vocational education and training (TVET) and cooperation in enhancing the understanding and
friendship between the two countries, and encourage relevant government agencies and
educational institutions of various types and levels to engage in active cooperation.
China will provide an additional 50 Chinese Government Scholarships Grants for Philippine
students on an annual basis from 2019-2021. Both sides will implement the Executive Program
of Cultural Agreement between China and the Philippines for 2019-2023 signed during the visit
and encourage their cultural institutions and groups to increase exchange of visits.
China will set up a Chinese Culture Center in the Philippines. Both sides support more twinning
agreements between their cities and provinces.

22. Both sides agree to strengthen bilateral relations in the field of labor and employment and
commit to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the Employment of Filipino
Teachers of English Language in China which was signed on 10 April 2018 in Boao, China, and
welcome the implementation of arrangements for Filipino teachers of the English language
working in China. The MOU signifies China's cognizance of the qualifications and competence
of Filipino teachers to work in tertiary educational institutions as teachers of the English
language. The MOU also endeavors for both countries to ensure the protection and promotion
of the welfare of teachers while working onsite.
23.The Philippines welcomes the official launch of the Chinese Consulate-General in Davao
City. Reciprocal arrangements for diplomatic premises in both countries will be made in the
spirit of the 1975 Joint Communique, on the basis of international practice and reciprocity, with
priority given to the most immediate concerns.
24.Both sides exchanged views on issues regarding the South China Sea, and reaffirmed that
contentious issues are not the sum total of China-Philippines bilateral relations and should not
exclude mutually beneficial cooperation in other fields. Both sides also reaffirm the importance
of maintaining and promoting regional peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and over-
flight above the South China Sea. Both sides stay committed to addressing disputes by peaceful
means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and
negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, and in accordance with universally
recognized principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the
1982 UNCLOS.
25.Both sides note that the situation in the South China Sea has become generally more stable
as a result of joint cooperative efforts between China, the Philippines, and other ASEAN
Member States. Both sides, together with ASEAN Member States, will work for the full and
effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea
(DOC) in its entirety. Both sides agree to maintain the positive momentum of the negotiations
on the Single Draft Code of Conduct (COC) Negotiating Text, with a view towards the early
adoption of an effective COC, based on consensus.
26.Both sides agree to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities in the South China Sea
that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. Both sides also note
the importance of confidence-building measures to increase mutual trust and confidence. In this
regard, both sides affirm the importance of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South
China Sea and the Joint Coast Guard Committee on Maritime Cooperation.

The two sides agree to maximize and strengthen the on-going coast guard, defense and military
dialogue and liaison mechanisms, with a view to facilitating quick responses to situations on the
ground and contributing to the enhancement of mutual trust and confidence between their coast
guards and defense agencies.
27.Both sides welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on
Oil and Gas Development between the two governments, and agree to discuss maritime
cooperation including maritime oil and gas exploration, sustainable use of mineral, energy and
other marine resources.
They also agree to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms in other maritime-related areas.
Both sides agree to cooperate in the implementation of relevant international maritime
instruments to ensure the safety of life at sea, marine environmental protection, and human
resources development.
28.The two sides speak positively of the development of China-ASEAN relations, and
congratulate the 15th Anniversary of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and the China-
ASEAN Year of Innovation. Both sides welcome the adoption of the China-ASEAN Strategic
Partnership Vision 2030 during the 21st China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting. China supports the
Philippines as the Country Coordinator of the China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations and the
coordinator for cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA. The Philippines welcomes and
supports the enhancement of cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA, which will
contribute to ASEAN Community Building and China-ASEAN cooperation.
29.Both sides agree to promote international peace and security, a rules-based multilateral free
trade regime, and development cooperation, as well as enhance cooperation within relevant
multilateral frameworks including the United Nations (UN) system.30.Both sides welcome the
signing of various agreements and Memoranda of Understanding during the visit, as listed in the
Annex.31.The two sides agree that the milestone visit of President Xi Jinping has contributed to
the advancement of friendship and cooperation between China and the Philippines. President Xi
Jinping appreciated the warm and friendly hospitality accorded to him and his delegation by
President Duterte and the Philippine government, and extended an invitation to President
Duterte to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in
Beijing, China, in April 2019. President Duterte accepted the invitation with pleasure. (More)
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2018-11/21/content_74195356.htm

India Seeks More Cooperation With Vietnam in Four Key
Sectors
November 21, 2018
Hanoi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday called for more cooperation between India and
Vietnam in the areas of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT. ―Agriculture has been a key
sector of our cooperation involving trade, investment and training,‖ Ram Nath Kovind said while
addressing the Vietnam-India Business Forum here.
―We feel privileged to have supported the Vietnamese agricultural revolution through the
establishment of Cuu Long Rice Research Institute,‖ he said. Stating that Vietnam is a huge
agricultural economy with agro-marine-forestry exports surpassing $35 billion last year, Kovind
said that agricultural products already occupy over 45 per cent of India-Vietnam bilateral trade.
The President also said that the Indian pharmaceuticals industry, the third largest in terms of
volume and the world‘s largest provider of generic drugs, can partner Vietnam in providing
quality health-care, medicines and medical devices for the public health system at an affordable
cost. He also highlighted significant opportunities between the two sides in the oil and gas,
power, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. (IANS)
https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/india-seeks-more-cooperation-with-vietnam-in-four-key-
sectors/
KVK to introduce crop drying tech to prevent harvest losses
The Philippines technology reduces losses by 10%
Updated: November 20th, 2018, 12:09 IST
The Philippines technology reduces losses by 10%
Bhubaneswar: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Khurda for the first time in Odisha Monday
demonstrated the benefits of using the Solar Bubble Drier which could be used to process and
dry the post-harvest paddy to reduce the losses that is incurred under conventional methods.
The institution, which introduced several farmers from the district to the latest technology, has
now decided to take it to farmers from different blocks so that they can understand its use and
chip in using the technology, based on solar energy to reduce crop loss.

―Under conventional methods, farmers dry their harvested crops under the sun in the open. In the
process, around 10 per cent of their produce is lost due to animals, vehicles running over it and
other reasons. In the new technology, the harvested crops are dried inside a chamber which also
ensures the required moisture in it,‖ said PN Ananth, Head, KVK, Khurda.
The technology has been developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
Phillippines which worked for a long time to address the post harvest losses. IRRI in
collaboration with GrainPro has developed this technique.
According to scientists associated with the project, it is a low cost drying technology that aims to
provide a simple and flexible alternative to sun drying protecting from spillage, animals and
other losses. The scientists said that post-harvest operation starts from harvesting to storage and
the area to be focused on in Odisha is drying and storage of paddy. Further value addition and
processing are choices of farmers in the value chain. The traditional methods experts opine cause
more losses both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

As per the technology, the paddy or other post-harvest crops are taken into the inflated chambers
and dried under controlled conditions to ensure that the required moisture is maintained and the
overall process with the help of solar energy that completes the whole procedure in less time than
manual drying.
http://www.orissapost.com/kvk-to-introduce-crop-drying-tech-to-prevent-harvest-losses/
The science behind cooking perfectly fried rice
By Kay Vandette
Earth.com staff writer
It‘s been said that cooking is an art, while baking is a science. However, researchers from
the Georgia Institute of Technology would disagree.
In a new study, researchers David Hu and Hungtang Ko, used the science of cooking to take a
closer look at the tossing techniques used for fried rice and stir-fry.
Hu and Ko noticed that there were few studies involving the physics behind Chinese cuisine, and
so the two set out to identify the underlying mechanisms of stir-frying, which has been a part of
Chinese Culinary tradition since at least 600 A.D.

21 22 november ,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newlsetter

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