23rd november,2020 daily global regional local rice e newsletter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
1 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
November 19 ,2020 Vol 11 Issue 11
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Editorial Board
Chief Editor
 Hamlik
Managing Editor
 Abdul Sattar Shah
 Rahmat Ullah
 Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
 Maryam Editor
 Legal Advisor
 Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
 Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid
 Javed Islam Agha
 Zahid Baig(Business Recorder)
 Dr.Akhtar Hussain
 Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
 Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
 Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
 Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal
University DIK
 Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
 Dr.Hidayat Ullah
Assistant Professor, University
of Swabi
 Dr.Abdul Basir
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
 Zahid Mehmood
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
 Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology
ART, Peshawar
Rice News Headlines…
 Sino-Pak agri coop to boost national economy: Envoy
 Field trials of Rajamudi rice to resume soon
 Traders: Import halt to distort flow of affordable rice
 Sticky situation
 Worried by supply, traders ask DA to issue SPS-IC now
 How to bring price stability in the market
 Shooting in bad weather
 Rice suffering from heat stress at risk of sterility
 They got a Spark!
 Rice miller creates 'black gold' from ash in Odisha
 Jammu and Kashmir: SKUAST conducts Scientific Rice Production
programme at Khudwani
 ASG member surrenders in Tawi-Tawi
 Muntinlupa police identifies fatality in Skyway girder accident
 Deadly Chapare virus transmissible from human to human,
researchers say
 Pakistan, China need effective cooperation strategy in agriculture
sector, says minister
 Speakers discuss methods to enhance Pak-China cooperation in agri
sector
 SKUAST conducts Scientific Rice Production programme at Khudwani
 Looming crisis of water scarcity over Pakistan; Challenges, implication
and way forward
 DA gives P2.8-M aid to farmers, irrigators groups
 ‘It was a total invasion’: the virus that came back from the dead
 APEDA has organised Virtual Buyer Seller Meets with potential
importing Countries for product promotion of Indian agri products
 No more rice import permits to be approved until year-end
 Crying fields no more
 NCS Intercepts N767m Falsely Declared Cargoes at Lagos Ports
 Farmers of 5204 paddy variety stare at Rs 100 crore loss in Khammam

News Detail…
Sino-Pak agri coop to boost national economy: Envoy
INP
November 22, 2020
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan-China agriculture cooperation is vital and would strengthen the
economy of Pakistan, said Pakistani ambassador to China Moin ul Haque yesterday.
Participating in a webinar organized by China Economic Net, he said Pakistan is a leading
country in the production of wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, lentils, mangoes and milk and fourth
largest producer of milk.
The ambassador said that agriculture contributes more than 80 percent to Pakistan‘s GDP and
provides more than 30 percent of the national labour force.
He further said the agricultural cooperation was extensively discussed in an important bilateral
meeting held between two foreign ministers in Hainan in August, 2020.
―The production of quality seeds, the productivity of various crops strengthening an agro-based
industry to bring in value addition, manufacturing pesticides, and setting up gold chain networks
were discussed.‖
The Ambassador said that recently China has adopted its 14th five-year plan for 2021 to 2025 in
which the field of modern agriculture has given high value.
―I believe that Pakistan can make optimum use of China‘s past achievements and its future
agricultural development schemes to address our weakness and consolidate our strength in the
agriculture sector,‖ Moin said.

China‘s unprecedented success in combating poverty and bringing more than 800 million people
out of poverty is indeed a miracle of recent times, helping communities to improve livelihood by
developing their local agricultural products.
He conveyed his sincere gratitude to China Economic Net for providing valuable support in
strengthening economic and commercial relations between China and Pakistan, from sponsoring
mangoes festival, organizing various conferences and seminars to recently hosting the Pakistani
government Pavilion in Shanghai,‖ the ambassador stated.
He hoped that two embassies and two governments could work together to have some concrete
results and achievements in the field of agriculture as next year they are going to celebrate the
70th years of diplomatic relation, a very important milestone in our relationship,‖ he added.
Other experts at the webinar said, Pakistan and China show strong will to boost agricultural
cooperation.
According to a report carried by China Economic Net, Zhang Qin, Vice President of China
National Seed Association, said, the Chinese government encourages private enterprises to enter
into international cooperation in the seed industry.
She also gave an example of Biocentury Transgene (China) Co., Ltd, a private enterprise, which
has entered Pakistan and cooperated with Pakistani local enterprises.
Muhammad Azeem Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC),
confirmed that under CPEC Phase II, the Pakistani government would provide facilities to
Chinese agricultural enterprises.
https://nation.com.pk/22-Nov-2020/sino-pak-agri-coop-to-boost-national-economy-envoy

Field trials of Rajamudi rice to resume soon
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
MYSURU, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 11:44 IST
arts of south Karnataka region.
This is a precursor to seeking GI status
The second set of field trials to prove the unique characteristic features of Rajamudi,
Karnataka‘s premium variety of rice, will be resumed in due course as a precursor to
seeking Geographical Indication (GI) status for it.
The results of the first set of trials — which was said to be encouraging — was
published some time ago in the international rice journal Oryza and scientists involved
in the exercise are confident of securing the coveted GI tag for Rajamudi within the
next two years.
The process is lengthy and entails scientifically proving that the characteristic features
of Rajamudi cannot be replicated when cultivated in other areas.
―It is in this connection that we intend to take up its cultivation in different parts of
Karnataka, including Shivamogga, Davangere, Bidar etc. this year,‖ said M.P. Rajanna,
a research scientist at VC Farm in Mandya, who is involved in the project.
Once successful, it will be the first paddy variety of Karnataka to share the honours
with Gobindobhog of Bengal, Kalanamak of Uttar Pradesh, and Ajara Ghansal of
Maharashtra, which have received the GI tag.
The State government is keen to secure the GI tag for Rajamudi, which was the
preferred rice variety of the Wadiyars of Mysuru who chose to receive it from the
farmers of the region in lieu of tax. This was due to its unique taste and the perceived
higher nutritional value which was proved scientifically in recent years, said
Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samruddha, an NGO spearheading the movement to save and
popularize the indigenous variety of rice in the State.

He said cultivation of Rajamudi variety of rice is currently restricted to parts of
Holenarsipur, Arkalgud, Channarayapatna, Hassan, and Mysuru taluks in south
Karnataka region. However, the acreage or area under cultivation is only around 25,000
acres to 30,000 acres and was on a decline raising concern that it could be on the brink
of extinction as it is being supplanted by hybrid variety.
Explaining the rationale for securing the GI status, Mr. Krishnaprasad said it will not
only help conserve the paddy variety but will prevent other variety of rice cultivated
elsewhere in the State from being foisted on consumers as the genuine Rajamudi
product.
The initiative to secure GI tag for Rajamudi was announced almost two years ago by
the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission and the Department of Agriculture.
Besides Rajamudi, there are plans to seek GI status for other varieties of rice, including
Gandhasale and Ratnachudi.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/field-trials-of-rajamudi-rice-to-resume-
soon/article33158639.ece
Traders: Import halt to distort flow of affordable rice
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:07 AM November 23, 2020
A group of rice industry stakeholders has appealed to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to lift the
suspension on the issuance of import permits, citing the rice tariffication law that liberalized
trading so that inexpensive rice could reach consumers.
The Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders‘ Movement (Prism) said the suspension of imports
might affect the country‘s food security as this would tighten the availability of affordable
imported rice.
This may also discourage traders from importing in the future as world market prices for the staple
are already expected to go up.
According to Prism, the normal flow should continue while prices abroad are still low.

The group issued the statement to the press over the weekend following Agriculture Secretary
William Dar‘s interview with the Inquirer wherein he said the agency would no longer issue
sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) to traders and importers until the end of the
year.
The group said the suspension ―may result in adverse implications due to the late timing of
approval and releases of SPSICs that is meant to augment the household and industry stocks.‖
Dar earlier said the country already has more than enough supply.
―We already stopped approving [permits] and we‘re not expecting anymore this year,‖ he said. —
KARL. R. OCAMPO INQ
https://business.inquirer.net/312338/traders-import-halt-to-distort-flow-of-affordable-
rice#ixzz6ecXV3jJS
Sticky situation
PUBLISHED : 23 NOV 2020 AT 06:46
NEWSPAPER SECTION: LIFE
WRITER: KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Sunrise over a hom naga rice paddy in Hang Chat, Lampang.
The rice paddy of Daeng Dee Farm in Lampang‘s Hang Chat district turns golden yellow.
Within a week, the farm owner Saman Supukkawanich, 55, will harvest a new glutinous
rice variety known as the hom naga.

―I like trying new things. When I learnt about the new sticky rice strain, I did not hesitate
to grow it on my 20 rai plot of land. The plant is strong. I do not need to use any pesticides. Each
rice panicle looks healthy and I am sure the yield will be high,‖ he said.
Hom naga is a hybrid rice variety jointly developed by a research team at the National Centre for
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) and the National Science and Technology
Development Agency, Kasetsart University and Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna.
The initial aim was to help farmers overcome major plant diseases such as rice blast caused by a
fungus and bacterial leaf blight. Another objective was to find a rice variety that can survive
unpredictable weather such as floods and drought — the impact of climate change.
―Before we kicked off the R&D project, we conducted a field study with farmers to learn about
their problems and to realise their needs,‖ said Srisawat Khanthong, 33, an assistant researcher at
Biotec.

For personal reasons, Srisawat chose to improve the quality of glutinous rice because he likes to
eat sticky rice.
Assistant Professor Nongyao Udomvong, second right, enjoys hom naga rice with her neighbours.Photo:
Karnjana Karnjanatawe
―I was born to a farmer family in Si Sa Ket. I have eaten sticky rice my whole life, so I
wanted to develop a new glutinous rice variety that has fragrance and a soft texture,‖ he
said. ―I also wanted my parents and other farmers to have an alternative rice variety. I
wanted them to grow rice that has a higher yield than other varieties so that the farmers
can have higher income,‖ he said.

He applied a technique of molecular marker-assisted breeding from two types of rice
varieties. One is a rice variety that can withstand rice blast disease and the other is a
glutinous rice variety that can resist bacterial leaf blight, survive submerged in water, and
also have fragrance.
In 2013, the research team planted the first version of the hom naga rice in a paddy field
at Kasetsart University in Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom. They kept improving the
quality and quantity over the past six years until they were satisfied with the result.
Hom naga is photoperiod insensitive, so it can be planted two times a year or during the
cropping season and offseason. The period from sowing to harvest is 130-140 days
depending on weather conditions. The plant has short and sturdy stems and its height is
126cm, shorter than the two popular glutinous rice varieties. The height of the san pa
tong variety is 150cm and kor kho hok‘s is 154cm. The short stems of the hom
naga make it easier for machine harvesting. Another benefit is that hom naga will not be
easily damaged by strong winds or a sudden downpour.
The size of polished hom naga rice is 6.88mm in length, 1.89mm in width and 1.66mm in thickness.
―The new variety can survive flash floods when the rice paddy is submerged in water for
up to two weeks,‖ said Srisawat. It can also withstand a short-term drought. Above all, it
can resist rice blast disease and bacterial leaf blight.
In 2019, the team started distributing the hom naga variety to farmers in Lampang,
Chiang Rai and Phayao. Thirty-one farmers joined the pilot project to grow hom
naga rice on a total of 95 rai plot of land. The total yield was 76 tonnes. An average yield
per rai was 807kg. The highest yield was recorded at 1.2 tonnes per rai.

―Hom naga has a much higher yield than the san patong and kor kho hok varieties which
can produce 500kg-600kg per rai. This is the important factor to help farmers to earn
more while their investment remains the same,‖ said Srisawat.
The research team is also holding a workshop to train farmers in how to select healthy
rice grains for the next farming season so that the farmers do not need to buy grains for
planting, which helps them save up to 25% of the investment.

Srisawat Khanthong.Photo: Karnjana Karnjanatawe
For farmers who already tasted the hom naga rice, they liked the fragrance and texture.
―Hom naga rice has a pleasant smell when cooked. When I let my neighbours try, they
also wanted to grow the new variety too,‖ said Bandon Aiduang, a farmer who joined the
pilot project in Chiang Rai‘s Phan district. He has already harvested the sticky rice from
his 10 rai plot of land.
Based on a sensory evaluation test, the research team at Biotec found that hom naga had a
more pleasant aroma than typical glutinous rice varieties and was closer to jasmine rice
varieties.
―The texture of hom naga is soft. Any leftover rice does not dry out or become hard,‖
added Assistant Professor Nongyao Udomvong, who tested it after becoming a farmer
post-retirement. She planted the rice variety this year in Lampang‘s Mae Tha district.
Living in Ban Kio, she and other farmers organically grow rice and vegetables.
Nongyao and her neighbours have already made some snacks from the hom naga rice
such as khao tom mat (steamed sticky rice snack wrapped in banana leaf) and khao
lam (glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk and baked in bamboo trunks). The hom
naga desserts are chewy and the rice does not stick to fingers.
With the success of the first pilot project last year, 309 farmers in 36 provinces in the
North and the Northeast grew the hom naga variety this year. The total land is 250 rai.
Some farmers have already harvested the rice while others will do so within a week or
two.
To encourage farmers to grow the rice strain, Hang Chat Agricultural Cooperative in
Lampang is offering 10 baht per kilogramme for unhusked hom naga rice compared to
eight baht for other glutinous varieties, said cooperative manager Teerapat Khamsom.

―I want to support variety and create more supply for consumers,‖ he said.
On Oct 12, the Department of Agriculture announced the registration of hom naga as the
new glutinous rice variety, meaning the rice can be planted for retail sale.
The cooperative will be among the first distributors of hom naga to consumers in
January. The market price for milled rice is 35 baht per kilogramme, the same price
as kor kho hok rice.
In the future, Biotec plans to promote hom naga to farmers along the Mekong including
farmers in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, said the R&D project leader Theerayut
Toojinda, an expert in rice genes and acting deputy executive director of Biotec.
―The hom naga variety is the climate-resilient aromatic glutinous rice. It will be one of
the solutions for food sustainability for farmers not only in Thailand but also the (lower)
Mekong region,‖ he said.

Photos courtesy of The National Science and Technology Development Agency
https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/2023863/sticky-situation
Worried by supply, traders ask DA to issue SPS-IC now
ByJasper Y. Arcalas
November 23, 2020
LOCAL rice traders and importers urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to immediately
resume the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) to ensure sufficient
supply of the staple amid lost production from typhoon damage.
The Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) said further delays in the
resumption of issuance of SPS-IC for rice imports ―may result in adverse implications due to late
timing of approval and releases‖ amid anticipated port congestion and rising world rice prices.

―Our apprehension is that the delay in the resumption of the issuance of SPS-IC could be
detrimental to the country‘s food security; the world market price of rice is expected to continue
to rise approaching December, while ports become extremely congested due to successive
holidays beginning December to February, here and abroad,‖ the group said in a statement on
Sunday.
PRISM, a rice industry-wide group including importers, pointed out that the Bureau of Plant
Industry (BPI) told importers at an October meeting that the issuance of SPS-IC would resume
by November 15.
PRISM disclosed that they agreed to the verbal request of BPI ―to manage and temporarily halt
their SPS-IC application to give way to the harvest season‖ during the October meeting as an
―expression of good faith.‖
PRISM pointed out that rice stakeholders are set to suffer anew ―from losses due to high cost of
sales‖ following the price freeze in Luzon due to the declaration of a State of Calamity; with that,
they are now buying palay prices at higher prices due to the impact of typhoons on the local
harvest.
―To address this issue, we at PRISM humbly request the government to recognize the
willingness of the private sector of the whole rice value chain to work together to provide a
normal flow of supply,‖ the group said.
―This teamwork will ensure the availability of quality and affordable rice in the market
especially during the holiday season,‖ it added.
The country‘s total rice inventory as of October 1 rose by 16.1 percent to a five-month high of
2.647 million metric tons from last year‘s 2.279 MMT, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
said.
Likewise, the latest rice stocks estimate was 45.2 percent higher than the September record of
1.823 MMT, the PSA added. (Related)

However, PRISM is also asking the PSA for an updated rice stock inventory to guide the
industry on the current market situation. With the deregulation of the National Food Authority
(NFA), rice industry players now just rely on figures released by PSA on the nationwide
inventory, PRISM said.
―This information is crucial because for the Rice Sector, the behavior of the market based on a
demand and supply principle is commonly used to project planting intention, sales and
purchases,‖ it said.
―Previously, rice stock situation data was being provided by the NFA. But with RTL and open
market regime, the sector is now blinded in navigating the real status of the domestic inventory
and market forecast, especially at the outset of the Covid 19 pandemic and the recent calamities,‖
it added.
The DA earlier said the rice supply loss from the series of typhoons that battered the country is
only minimal, at about 4 percent of the projected 8.4 million metric ton (MMT) production this
fourth quarter.
In a recent virtual press briefing, the DA said the three typhoons and a super typhoon that hit the
country so far in the fourth quarter—Pepito, Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses —resulted in production
loss of at least 314,928 MT of palay.
This is minimal compared to the expected production in the October-to-December period of 8.4
MMT, said DA.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/11/23/worried-by-supply-traders-ask-da-to-issue-sps-ic-now/
How to bring price stability in the market
12:00 AM, November 22, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:11 AM, November 22, 2020
Nawshad Ahmed

A common question is how and by whom are prices fixed in the market? The question arises
because every now and then the price of one essential consumer item or the other goes up
without our notice. The price is supposed to be established by the "invisible hand", a metaphor
used by the renowned 18th century economist Adam Smith, which is the unobservable market
force that determines the price of a commodity in a free market.
We need to explore the factors that act behind this invisible hand so that practical steps can be
taken to avoid ups and downs occurring in the market. Also, it is important to look for both short
and long-term factors behind the abnormal fluctuations in market price. We often overlook the
long-term factors and take action based on immediate factors.
For example, when the price of onion went up recently, we read in the newspapers that India had
to stop exporting onion to Bangladesh because of supply constraint and that is the reason for the
skyrocketing of onion price here. The traders took this opportunity and immediately doubled the
price. This is beyond any plausible market theory that explains such behaviour by traders. The
shortage does not occur overnight but the wholesalers and retailers create an artificial crisis and
raise prices to ensure huge gains for themselves. The Consumer Association of Bangladesh did
not find any good reason for promptly raising the price by traders. The government acted upon
the situation—it started selling onion, lentil, sugar and soybean oil through Trading Corporation
of Bangladesh from early September and issued stern warning against hoarding of the

commodities. But the price did not go down since the wholesale and retail traders noticed global
shortages of these products and rising international prices, and continued to exploit the situation.
Despite low aggregate demand in the Bangladesh economy due to Covid-19 for the last seven
months, the price level of most manufacturing products either remained the same or went down
slightly, but ironically, most food items registered an increase in price. Due to drastic fall in
employment and concurrent reduction of purchasing power among the poorest people, the
government undertook the well-known stimulus packages to boost demand. This resulted in a
stable price regime for most agricultural and farm products except fisheries and dairy products
whose demand went down. The price of rice kept rising despite a bumper harvest of boro paddy
in the country. The boro rice production reached an all-time high at 20.03 million tonnes in 2020
against 19.57 million tonnes in 2019. Despite achieving national self-sufficiency in food grain
production through the use of high-yielding seed and appropriate technology, the food price still
remains high in the country. As per the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the rate of inflation in
September was 5.97 percent.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) analyses price rises and
recommends to the Ministry of Food and Ministry of Commerce necessary measures to ease the
price level. The DNCRP was founded in 2009 through the Consumer Rights Protection Act,
2009. As per DNCRP, factors that are behind the increase in rice price are increase in transport
costs, huge purchase of paddy by rice millers from the farmers in the expectation of future
profits, and large-scale purchase of rice by NGOs and voluntary organisations for distribution
among Covid-19 affected people. The government procured only 0.23 million tonnes of paddy
and rice against its target of 1.95 million tonnes this year.
Rice is a food item with a long shelf life and so can be stocked and the price can potentially be
manipulated. There are about 800 semi-automatic and automatic rice mills operating in the
country which can possibly act in unison and keep the mill gate price high, although no formal or
informal syndicates have been unearthed by the government. But rise of vegetable prices is a
different story. Severe flooding in the northern districts affected the products and is responsible
for rise in vegetable prices.
Experience shows that if high price of a product sustains for a few weeks, consumers get used to
paying this new price. For essential food items, poor people have no choice other than paying the
high price but, of course, by cutting consumption of other items. The poorest and marginalised

households are worst affected by such abrupt price rises which often sustains for months
together.
To achieve a low-price regime, interaction between ultimate buyers and sellers of a product is
crucial and elimination of as many layers of intermediaries as possible is desirable. We generally
characterise Bangladesh as a seller's market since producers, collectors, transporters, wholesalers
and retailers determine the ultimate consumer price by adding all their respective costs to come
up with the final unit price.
Although the government's policy is to rely on the private sector for production, transportation
and marketing of food grains, the Ministry of Food needs to act prudently whenever necessary.
To keep prices stable, the government should increase procurement of rice and build up stock, to
help direct producers to receive fair prices on the one hand, and on the other, undertake more
open market sales, target food distribution to poor households, and provide emergency relief
after natural disasters. We have to remember that many developed countries also intervene in the
agricultural sector to maintain stable production and price levels. To keep food prices stable, the
Ministry of Agriculture should monitor timely supply of fertiliser, seed and pesticide to farmers,
and ensure low cost of irrigation through subsidised electricity supply. The government's Local
Government Division should work with the Union Parishads and Paurashavas to create
permanent databases of poor families so that these families can be targeted for distribution of
food and cash assistance, as and when needed.
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/how-bring-price-stability-the-market
Shooting in bad weather
Published November 23, 2020, 7:44 PM
by Ronald Jayme
By Raffy Paredes
As we have been having a series of storms lately, readers may be interested in ―How and
Why You Should Take Photos in Bad Weather‖ by Jaron Schneider. The article featured on
Peta Pixel links to a 9.5-minute video by Spanish-American photographer and YouTuber,
Aows. In the video, Aows explains how he does it and why he thinks it‘s worth it. For
starters, Aows thinks using a plastic bag with holes cut into it is probably your best and
most reliable option to keep your equipment dry even if it doesn‘t look good. He

recommends using a car as a base of operations so that you have a place to go to stay warm
or dry off. And it‘s a good idea to have a ―disposable‖ camera that functions, but that you
are positive you won‘t miss if it were to break. Watch Aows on his YouTube channel for
more advice.
If you have time on your hands and looking for other ways to present your photos, you may
want to try making chlorophyll prints. Chlorophyll printing is an alternative photographic
process where photographic images are developed on natural leaves through the action of
photosynthesis. This organic technique does not use chemicals since the photographs are
exposed directly to the sunlight on plants or trees leaves. Interested readers may look up the
article ―Chlorophyll prints – nature expresses itself‖
on www.alternativephotography.com/chlorophyll-prints/ for step-by-step instructions on
leaf printing.
Here are today‘s featured readers and their photos.
Untitled (Alexander Manalili)

Alexander Manalili of the Pinoy Istanbul Shooters Odyssey (PISO) shares an untitled
―Amorsolo-inspired painting picture‖ of a Filipina with a jar. The photo features ―the beauty
of a Filipina in the province of Cavite,‖ writes Alexander. He post-processed the image to

achieve the painting effect.

Night Shift (Bryan Ilao)
Bryan V. Ilao, a part-time instructor at the Laguna State Polytechnic University sent in the
photo ―Night Shift.‖
Pag-asa Mula sa Panandaliang Tamis (David Allen Belen Buencillo)
From David Allen Belen Buencillo is the photo of a cotton-candy vendor titled ―Pag-asa
Mula sa Panandaliang Tamis.‖
Golden Hour Sunset (Honey Lyn Mangrobang)
Honey Lyn Mangrobang, a nurse in a government hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates submitted the photo, ―Golden Hour Sunset.‖ Her photo description reads: ―The
golden hour, in my opinion, is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It‘s a magical scene
that makes my soul move. It reminds me that after every sunset will be another hope for
better days coming, relating it to our current situation.‖
Quarantine Sunset (Juzstin Dayao)
The photo ―Quarantine Sunset‖ comes from Juzstin Dayao of Malagasang, Imus, Cavite.

Dedication (Kzuzvan Kay E. Casabal)
Kzuzvan Kay E. Casabal contributed ―Dedication,‖ a photo of linemen working on an
electric post in the midst of a typhoon.
Kids at Play @ Baseco Beach (Mark Lyndon Aguila)
Mark Lyndon Aguila, a freelance and street photographer from Manila shares ―Kids at Play
@ Baseco Beach.‖ He took the photo during the recent International Coastal Cleanup.
Tagas Rice Fields (Raffy T. Relator)
Raffy T. Relator writes that he captured his photo ―Tagas Rice Fields‖ from the summit of
Dionio‘s Peak, a small hill in Barangay Tagas, province of Aklan. ―I am fascinated with the
scenery from the top because ricefields have a nostalgic view even if it is a dry season,‖
shares Raffy. ―The landscape view is near the national highway of Aklan where tourists pass
when they travel to Boracay.‖

Backbone of the Nation (Ryan Poliran)
Ryan Poliran, campus journalism coach of Sto. Tomas National High School, Division of
Davao del Norte sent in the photo of a farmer riding a carabao beside a ricefield titled
―Backbone of the Nation.‖ He shares: ―I took this photo in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Valley Province during the National Schools Press Conference last March. Known as the
Rice Bowl in the North, the said province has faced challenges as rice prices continue to
plunge. I interviewed Olalio Binanay, a 63-year-old farmer in Carig. He said that he lacks
machineries and funds to sustain the production and cope with the pressing adversity. He
urged the government officials to act and rectify as they hold moral responsibility.‖

Sunset and Silhouettes (Stephen Denz Perez Dia)
And from college student and a mobile photography enthusiast Stephen Denz Perez Dia is
the photo, ―Sunset and Silhouettes.‖ He writes: ―A beautiful sunset the day before a
tremendous storm. Kids were happily playing not knowing what might happen the next day.
It was beautiful, calming and peaceful.‖ He took the photo a day before typhoon Quinta
struck.
Stay safe everyone.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/23/shooting-in-bad-weather/

Rice suffering from heat stress at risk of sterility
by Dhel Nazario
A study has found out that rice suffering from heat stress is at risk of becoming sterile.
―High temperature stress is one of the most important constraints in rice production in the
Philippines,‖ Norvie L. Manigbas, Chief Science Research Specialist,
Philippine Rice Research Institute, said during a webinar presentation of his study on
―Rice Improvement for High Temperature Adaptation in the Philippines.‖
The event was organized by the Department of Science and Technology-National Research
Council of the Philippines (DoST-NRCP).
Information from the DoST showed that rice normally thrives in temperatures between 20 to
35 degrees Celsius, but it becomes increasingly sensitive when the temperature reaches over
35 degrees Ccelsius, especially during the reproductive stage. Based on study,
many rice varieties in the farmers‘ field are recorded to have high sterility of up to 80
percent, and very few can tolerate heat stress.
Historical data from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), since 1998 to 2019, and
from DoST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services
Administration, since 1971 to 2000, shows that the temperature in local fields has reached
the critical level of 35 degrees Celsius or more by which rice can be affected.
If this will continue without mitigation or other measures to at least reduce it, in the year
2065, as projected by DoST-PAGASA and other agrometeorological government agencies,
there will be a 2.5 to three degrees Celsius increase in temperature, higher than it is today.
―If high temperature persists, which is predicted to increase by 1.1 to 2.4 degrees Celsius in
the coming decades, future rice varieties should have the tolerance trait. Reports say that
heat stress can cause yield decline of up to 14 percent in susceptible varieties,‖ Manigbas
said.
The adoption of high temperature-tolerant cultivars is one of the most effective
countermeasures to maintain high productivity and stability of rice under the anticipated
climate in temperate regions. Without rice improvement, old and current rice varieties with
no tolerance to heat stress will suffer yield decline.

High temperature can induce high spikelet sterility among rice which are at flowering stage,
and this can result in having more unfilled grains due to heat stress, and in the process,
lower rice yields. For instance, if there are 30 unfilled grains in a 100 grain sample, then
spikelet sterility is 30 percent. The higher the percentage of spikelet sterility, the lower yield
is expected.
The high temperature during the reproductive stage of the rice crop can also cause
chalkiness in the grains. When grains are chalky, there will be more grains that are broken
during milling and this leads to low milling recovery, low quality of the grains, and lower
price.
―I think the government should prioritize strengthening the R&D programs not only for high
temperature, but also for multi-trait abiotic stress rice improvement like drought, salinity,
and submergence,‖ Manigbas explained.
There are 312 released rice varieties from 1990 to 2019 in the Philippines and there will be
15 more new varieties to be released this 2020.
The new heat-tolerant rice varieties are still being evaluated by the Department of
Agriculture. Once approved, there is a plan to deploy these varieties initially to high
temperature areas in the farmers‘ field in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan and Pili, Camarines Sur
for the 2021 dry season cropping.
DoST-NRCP has been initiating public awareness and discussion on important science and
technology issues to enable the public to be more aware of the social science behind the
S&T issues.DoST-NRCP‘s future webinar announcements and other events can be found in
their Facebook page Research Pod.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/21/rice-suffering-from-heat-stress-at-risk-of-sterility/
They got a Spark!
The Museum of Discovery honors 8 with virtual luncheon, galaby Cary Jenkins |
November 22, 2020 at 2:48 a.m. Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Rachel Bunch at the Spark
Luncheon on 11/02/2020 at the Museum of Discovery. (Arkansas Democrat-
Gazette/Cary Jenkins) (Cary Jenkins)
Arkansas innovators in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math were honored at
the Spark! Luncheon on Nov. 2 at the Museum of Discovery.
Honorees were Rachel Bunch, executive director of the Arkansas Health Care Association; Lori
Burrows, vice president and general counsel of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives; Jason Green,

vice president of human resources for ABB Motors & Mechanical; first lady Susan Hutchinson,
STEM Coalition board member; Anna McClung, director of the Dale Bumpers National Rice
Research Center; Dr. Nathaniel Smith, deputy director for public health service and
implementation science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Elizabeth Solano, manager
of risk management at the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives; and Keshari Thakali, assistant
professor and postdoctoral researcher for Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/nov/22/they-got-a-spark/?features-profiles
Rice miller creates 'black gold' from ash in Odisha
A Kalahandi rice miller found an innovative way to turn rice husk ash into non-
polluting pellets that aid steel production, writes Uma Shankar Kar
Published: 22nd November 2020 08:53 AM | Last Updated: 22nd November 2020
08:53 AM
Workers at Sahu‘s RHA manufacturing mill.
By Uma Shankar Kar
Express News Service

BHAWANIPATNA: Throw Bibhu Sahu a problem and he will mostly likely create an
innovative business model. Twenty years ago, when most of his fellow villagers were cultivating
paddy, the 20-something went into rice milling. Decade and half later, when rice husk waste
from his mill drew resistance from locals, he turned the ash into gold.
Today, the 40-year-old from Kalahandi‘s M Rampur supplies rice husk ash (RHA) pellets to
steel industries in Egypt, Ukraine and Taiwan and is exploring opportunities in Japan, Germany
and Australia. That‘s not all. His waste to pellet model has drawn recognition not only from steel
makers across the world but also from R&D bodies.
Bibhu Sahu
The journey started on a modest note as a para teacher for Sahu. After completing BSc from M
Rampur College, he pursued CT training and joined as a para teacher in 2000. However, the
dream of owning a venture was compelling and he quit the job two years later.
With farmers of the area mostly cultivating paddy, Sahu saw an opportunity. He took loan and
opened a rice mill at Pandkamal village located in the aycut area of Utei medium irrigation
project.
Problems started in 2017 when some locals objected to his dumping of RHA, the waste
generated after processing paddy, at a nearby land.
They alleged that the waste was causing air pollution. ―It was a bitter experience but also a
blessing in disguise as it forced me to think of alternative ways to use the husk ash,‖ he says.
Sahu used to transfer the ash into gunny bags and place them in his unused 1,000 sq ft godown
near the mill. Soon, the godown ran out of space considering the large quantity of RHA produced
daily.
Sahu had to look for options and searched the internet where he came across a research paper
which said that RHA contains 85 per cent silicon and the granules generated from it can be used
in steel industries besides, tyres and pesticide manufacturing units. With its fine insulating
properties having high melting point and low thermal conductivity, RHA is widely used in steel
industry to produce high quality steel. It is also used during casting metals to support slow
cooling process and coating molten metals in steel industry, the research paper mentioned.
To explore the opportunity, Sahu sent small samples of RHA generated from his rice mill to
different steel industries and in the early 2018, he was invited by EZDK - the first steel plant in
Egypt - to demonstrate its use in production of steel. Impressed, the company handed him an
order of supplying granular pellets of the RHA which would not result in pollution. However, he
didn‘t have machines to generate pellets on a commercial scale. ―There were no machines
available across the country to generate RHA pellets.

Some companies assured me to make the machinery but failed ―, recalls Sahu who hired local
potters and a blacksmith to prepare a machine that can serve the purpose. After unsuccessful
trials, they designed a machine which could successfully make tiny balls of RHA. They made
two more similar machines and Sahu hired all of them for generating RHA pellets.
He did not just meet the EZDK demand with the indigenous designs, he also applied for patent,
trademark and design certification for the machinery and know-how of generating RHA pellets
at the National Research Development Corporation, Visakhapatnam which were granted. The
same year, his innovation was also recognised by Startup Odisha which sanctioned Rs 15 lakh to
him for developing the model. Besides, CRRI at Cuttack provided him another Rs 24 lakh for the
purpose.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/nov/22/rice-miller-creates-black-goldfrom-ash-in-
odi
Jammu and Kashmir: SKUAST conducts Scientific Rice
Production programme at Khudwani
India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 21 Nov 2020, 05:12 pm
#RiceProduction, #SKUAST
Srinagar: A Seed/input distribution cum one day training programme on Scientific Rice
Production (SRP) Technologies under Tribal Sub Plan-Rice of All India Coordinated
Research Project on Rice (AICRIP-Rice), was conducted here at Mountain Research
Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC) Khudwani, SKUAST Kashmir on Thursday.
The programme was sponsored by ICAR-IIRR Hyderabad, and Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers‘ Welfare (GOI). 43 farmers belonging to ST category from the villages Gawran, Rakhi
Brah, Sonach, Chattergul of subdivision, Achabal, Disst.Anantnag participated in the
programme.
Sr. Scientist, Agronomy and PI-AICRP Rice at MRCFC Khudwani Dr. Ashaq Hussain
deliberated on the importance of quality of rice seed and new rice varieties and agrotechniques
for high rice productivity.
The farmers were also apprised about the latest options available for weed and disease
management in rice.
The second session of the programme included the distribution of agricultural inputs.

The inputs included 2 quintals of high quality seed of variety Shalimar Rice 5 and 43 no. tool
kits used in various agricultural operations.
The programme was chaired by Prof. Nazir A. Bhat, Associate Director Research who
emphasized on the role of quality inputs and adoption of scientific techniques for higher rice
productivity and resource use efficiency.
Other associated scientists from the disciplines of Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology and Soil
Science also had interactive sessions with farmers and presented the technological information
with reference to rice production and management.
The training was conducted by MRCFC, Khudwani (SKUAST-Kashmir) in collaboration with
Sub-Division Achabal, Department of Agriculture and financial assistance from Director, ICAR-
Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad.
https://www.indiablooms.com/news-details/N/66877/jammu-and-kashmir-skuast-conducts-
scientific-rice-production-programme-at-khudwani.html
ASG member surrenders in Tawi-Tawi
Published November 22, 2020, 10:19 AM
by Nonoy Lacson
ZAMBOANGA CITY – An Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member, known to be involved in
kidnap-for-ransom activities, surrendered to the Marine soldiers in Tawi-Tawi province on
Friday, November 20.
Armed Force of the Philippines- Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom)
Commander Lt Gen Corleto Vinluan, Jr. identified Saturday the ASG member as Al-Habi
Jundam, alias Victor Jundam. He surrendered to the military at about 9 a.m. Friday.
Jundam was an active follower of Sulu-based ASG sub-leader Hairullah Asbang.According
to Vinluan, the surrender of Jundam was a result of the combined efforts of the police and
military operating in the province.―Based on our record, Jundam acted as a security element
during the captivity of kidnap victims: John Hablo on October 22, 2013; Jin Hua Chen and
Yahong Chen in May 2014; and Rolando De Torchio in October 2015.
He was also involved in the series of encounters against military troops in Sulu Province,‖
said Vinluan.

Jundam was later turned over to the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi represented by
the Province Administrator Hadjimar Matba, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Mayor Jimuel Que, and
Ministry of Local Government (MILG) Tawi-Tawi Officer-In-Charge Cidrimar Maring at
the Second Marine Brigade headquarters in Marine Barracks Domingo Deluana, Barangay
Sanga-Sanga, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
Jundam also underwent custodial debriefing conducted by the Forward Support Medical
Team (FSMT-21).
―During the debriefing, Jundam revealed that he was already tired of hiding and he was
afraid that he will eventually be the military‘s target, thus his surrender,‖ Rojas said.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/22/asg-member-surrenders-in-tawi-tawi/
Muntinlupa police identifies fatality in Skyway girder
accident
by Jonathan Hicap
The Muntinlupa City Police have identified the person who died after a girder of the
ongoing Skyway extension project collapsed on East Service Road in Barangay Cupang
Saturday morning.
EEI Corp., the project contractor, earlier said that about 8:50 a.m., a crane that was being
operated tilted and hit the girder that was positioned between two posts of the north-bound
Skyway extension project. The girder fell on vehicles below.
According to the Muntinlupa Police, Edison Visaga Paquibot, a driver of a Yamaha Mio
Soul motorcycle, was declared dead on arrival at the Alabang Medical Clinic in Barangay
Alabang, Muntinlupa. The crane was operated by Enrico Gregorio, 41, of Molino 3, Bacoor,
Cavite, the police added.
The police said that the vehicles that were damaged by the girder were a Mitsubishi
Adventure driven by Henry Zosar, 54, from San Pedro, Laguna; Toyota Vios taxi driven by
Rogelio Cueno, 60, of Bagong Silangan, Quezon City; Hyundai H100 driven by Aner
Regachuelo of Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City; Suzukı Raider motorcycle driven by Juanito
Dumalig Jr. of Alabang; Yamaha Mio motorcycle driven by Reden Abanil Resus of

Alabang; and Honda Beat motorcycle driven by Edwin Sagun of San Pedro, Laguna. They
were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi has asked Skyway to immediately explain the incident
and to execute concrete plans for the safety of motorists so it will not happen again.
EEI Corp. earlier said that it was ―monitoring the progress of the injured and are trying to
get in touch with their next of kin for proper coordination and to extend any assistance they
may need.‖
―Our hearts and prayers go with the affected families. This is an unfortunate and heart-
breaking accident that must not happen again. We will review immediately our safety and
operating protocols as we build a strategic infrastructure for the public‘s convenience,‖ the
Skyway extension project contractor added.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/21/muntinlupa-police-identifies-fatality-in-skyway-girder-accident/
Deadly Chapare virus transmissible from human to
human, researchers say
Researchers determined that Chapare virus likely spread from person to person during a deadly
outbreak in Bolivia, according to findings presented at the American Society of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting.
Chapare virus belongs to a family of viruses known as arenaviruses, which include pathogens
such as Lassa and Machupo viruses. Arenaviruses are usually spread via contact with an infected
rodent or its feces, according to the CDC.
However, researchers found that Chapare virus caused at least five infections near La Paz,
Bolivia, in 2019 three of which were fatal and that infections occurred through encounters with
infected patients.

It was only the second Chapare virus outbreak on record, according to a press release. The first
occurred in 2004, 370 miles away from the more current outbreak, and consisted of a small
cluster and only one confirmed case. Patients in the 2019 outbreak reported fevers, abdominal
pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, rash and pain behind their eyes.
According to the release, the latest outbreak ―surprised health authorities‖ because they initially
only knew that it was a hemorrhagic fever presenting similarly to Ebola. This ―sparked a rapid
mobilization of infectious disease experts,‖ according to the release.
Outbreak data showed that a medical resident, who later died from Chapare, may have been
infected while suctioning saliva from a patient, according to findings presented at the meeting.
Another patient, an ambulance medic who survived infection, was likely infected while
resuscitating the medical resident during transport. Additionally, researchers were able to detect
viral RNA in the semen of another survivor more than 168 days after infection, raising the
possibility of sexual transmission.
―Our work confirmed that a young medical resident, an ambulance medic and a
gastroenterologist all contracted the virus after encounters with infected patients, and two of
these health care workers later died," Caitlin Cossaboom, DVM, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist
with the CDC's Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said in the press
release. "We now believe many bodily fluids can potentially carry the virus."
Cossaboom and colleagues think Chapare virus could have been circulating in Bolivia for several
years, with some infected patients being wrongly diagnosed as suffering from dengue. Although
the cause of the outbreak is still unknown, the researchers presented evidence that Chapare viral
RNA was detected in pigmy rice rats and small-eared pigmy rice rats from areas near La Paz.

According to Cossaboom, the confirmation of human-to-human transmission demonstrates that
anyone dealing with suspected cases ―must take extreme care‖ to avoid contact with items
contaminated with blood, urine, saliva or semen.
https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20201120/deadly-chapare-virus-transmissible-from-
human-to-human-researchers-say#
Pakistan, China need effective cooperation strategy in
agriculture sector, says minister
* Nong Rong says China will facilitate Pakistani exports of cherry, onion, potato and other
agricultural products
Agencies
NOVEMBER 21, 2020
Agriculture sector forms an important theme of CPEC whereby an effective cooperation strategy
between Pakistan and China can prove to be greatly beneficial for both countries. This was stated
by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam in his remarks
at a webinar, says a report published by China Economic Net.
Agriculture sector in Pakistan is also an untapped potential market and industry where
investment and partnership potentials are existing.
For Pakistan specifically, dividends could come in the form of new export opportunities,
improved technology, private investment flows and growth for local enterprises within the agri-
business sector, Syed added.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong made an opening speech at the webinar and said
that it is of great significance and timing as it focuses on seed industry, agricultural product
processing and agricultural investment. ―We will facilitate Pakistani exports of cherry, onion,
potato and other agricultural products to China, actively promote the construction of foot-and-
mouth disease free zones and help Pakistan bring beef and mutton products into the Chinese
market,‖ Nong told the webinar.
Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque also addressed the event and said that Pakistan is
a leading country in the production of wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, mangoes and milk. We are
the fourth largest producer of milk. We also have a vibrant livestock sector, leather, meat and
poultry production, he added.

Fareena Mazhar, Secretary of Pakistani Board of Investment told the webinar that the natural
resource endowments between Pakistan and China remain complementary, laying a solid basis
for expanding cooperation and driving Pakistan‘s agricultural progress through adopting
advanced technologies in the future.
Touching on the cotton yield difference between China and Pakistan with the similar planting
area, Zhang Rui, Director of the Center for Molecular Biology of Crops at China Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, said that China has more advanced biological breeding technology for
cotton, high-quality cottonseed production technology, and high-yield and efficient cultivation
and management techniques for cotton.
Earlier, in her opening remarks, ―Farhat Asif, the President of Institute of Peace and Diplomatic
Studies (IPDS) said since agriculture is a pivotal backbone of Pakistani economy, cooperation
between Pakistan and China in this sector will be a destiny changer for Pakistan and us all. ―As
we see that China has not only helped its own land and people, but also shared agricultural
experiences with BRI countries like Pakistan. China has given us much larger contribution
towards economy of Pakistan,‖ she said.
Separately, Zhai Xueling, Director of Market and Trade Research Office, Research Center for
Rural Economy under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, said Pak-China
agricultural resource endowments mutually complementary. She was addressing a webinar on
great potential of Sino-Pak agricultural cooperation. ―The natural resource endowments between
Pakistan and China are mutually complementary, which lays a solid basis for expanding
cooperation,‖ Zhai said. Pakistan‘s per capita arable land area and annual fresh water availability
are about twice and 1.5 times separately those of China. Moreover, Pakistan‘s labor force is
abundant at comparably low cost.
According to Zhai, compared with China, at present, the overall development of the agriculture
sector in Pakistan is relatively low, particularly lacking improved varieties and advanced
technologies. For instance, the yields of major agricultural products including grain, cotton, oil
and sugar are less than 50% of China‘s. In this respect, China has advantages in agricultural
science and technology, mechanization and water conservancy facility construction.
From 2010 to 2019, China‘s agricultural imports from Pakistan increased by 1.3 times, and
China‘s agricultural exports to Pakistan increased by 29% during the same period. China mainly
exports vegetables, nuts, grains and oilseeds to Pakistan and imports rice, aquatic products,
drinks and livestock products from Pakistan. It‘s noted that China-Pakistan Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) Phase II will give new impetus to the bilateral agricultural trade.
In the medium and long term, Pakistan‘s overall economic environment is improving with great
development potential, and investment policies and regulations are being increasingly perfected.
―The future cooperation between China and Pakistan in agricultural science and technology,

agricultural products processing, agricultural products trade and agricultural infrastructure
construction is promising,‖ Zhai said.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/691709/pakistan-china-need-effective-cooperation-strategy-in-agriculture-
sector-says-minister/
Speakers discuss methods to enhance Pak-China
cooperation in agri sector
APP
November 21, 2020
BEIJING-Speakers at a webinar discussed ways and means to further enhance cooperation in the
agriculture sector between Pakistan and China. ―Agriculture sector forms an important theme of
CPEC whereby an effective cooperation strategy between Pakistan and China can prove to be
greatly beneficial for both countries,‖ said Federal Minister for National Food Security and
Research Syed Fakhar Imam. In his remarks at the webinar organized by China Economic Net

(CEN) he said, agriculture sector in Pakistan was also an untapped potential market and industry
where investment and partnership potentials were existing.
For Pakistan specifically, dividends could come in the form of new export opportunities,
improved technology, private investment flows and growth for local enterprises within the agri-
business sector, Syed added. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong made an opening
speech at the webinar and said that it was of great significance and timing as it was focused on
seed industry, agricultural product processing and agricultural investment.
―We will facilitate Pakistani exports of cherry, onion, potato and other agricultural products to
China, actively promote the construction of foot-and-mouth disease free zones and help Pakistan
bring beef and mutton products into the Chinese market,‖ Nong told the webinar.
Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque also addressed the event and said Pakistan is a
leading country in the production of wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, mangoes and milk. They are
the fourth largest producer of milk. They also have a vibrant livestock sector, leather, meat and
poultry production, he added. Fareena Mazhar, Secretary of Pakistani Board of Investment, told
the webinar that the natural resource endowments between Pakistan and China remained
complementary, laying a solid basis for expanding cooperation and driving Pakistan‘s
agricultural progress through adopting advanced technologies in the future.
Touching on the cotton yield difference between China and Pakistan with the similar planting
area, Zhang Rui, Director Center for Molecular Biology of Crops at China Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, said China has more advanced biological breeding technology for cotton,
high-quality cottonseed production technology, and high-yield and efficient cultivation and
management techniques for cotton.
With the theme `China-Pakistan Agricultural Technology Cooperation and Prospects`, the
webinar was jointly sponsored by China Economic Net, the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic

Studies and an English daily under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the
Pakistani Embassy in China, and brought together nearly 300 participants both from China and
Pakistan.
Meanwhile, a young Pakistani trader based in the Keqiao District of Shaoxing city, Zhejiang
province of China, will import 1000 metric tonnes of pine nuts from Pakistan this year.
―I have already imported around 200 tonnes of pine nuts from Pakistan and I am fully confident
to achieve my target,‖ Yar Muhammad Niazi, CEO, Shaoxing Aiza Trading Company, said on
Friday.
The young Pakistani importer, who has been carrying out business in Keqiao, Shaoxing for the
last five years, informed that he imports pine nuts from Pakistan and Afghanistan in the raw
material shape and then supply to different buyers in Zhejiang province and other parts of China.
He said that his company is also planning to import walnuts and peanuts from Pakistan, adding,
―I am motivating various Pakistani exporters in this regard and willing to provide a platform in
China enabling them to sell their products‖ while commenting on Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
Phase-II between Pakistan and China, he opined that it has helped Pakistani traders and
businessmen. Now they have got relief on a large number of items with regard to tariff and value
added tax.
China, he said, is a big market and Pakistani exporters could take advantage of the facilities
under the FTA Phase-II. Yar Muhammad Niazi said that Pakistani pine nuts are very popular dry
fruit in China particularly in the winter season and it has a large demand. Pakistani pine nut or
Chilgoza comes from Pakistan‘s western region Parachinar. Historicallly, Pakistan has been a
traditional exporter of pine nuts, most of which are sold to China through the Khunjerab Port in
Kashgar, northwest China‘s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Pakistan pine nut is of the best
quality in the world with its large kernel, thin skin, high nutritional value and medicinal value.

According to a pine nut supplier in China, some pine nuts take up to three years to mature. They
are also difficult to harvest, which justifies their high price.
https://nation.com.pk/21-Nov-2020/speakers-discuss-methods-to-enhance-pak-china-cooperation-in-agri-
sector
SKUAST conducts Scientific Rice Production
programme at Khudwani
GK News Network
Srinagar, November 21, 2020, 1:00 AMNovember 20, 2020, 11:59 PM
UPDATED: November 20, 2020, 11:59 PM
A Seed/input distribution cum one day training programme on Scientific Rice Production (SRP)
Technologies under Tribal Sub Plan-Rice of All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice
(AICRIP-Rice), was conducted here at Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC)
Khudwani, SKUAST Kashmir on Thursday. The programme was sponsored by ICAR-IIRR
Hyderabad, and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare (GOI).
43 farmers belonging to ST category from the villages Gawran, Rakhi Brah, Sonach, Chattergul
of subdivision, Achabal, Disst.Anantnag participated in the programme.
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/business/skuast-conducts-scientific-rice-production-pro
Looming crisis of water scarcity over Pakistan;
Challenges, implication and way forward
Osama Farooq 21 Nov 2020
Pakistan is grappling with many serious challenges – some political, some physical and some
mix of both. Of these, the less talked about but one of the key existential challenge is ‗water
scarcity‘ as it has direct bearing on food security and we have a population of almost 208 million
to be fed. Agriculture accounts for 19.3% of the country‘s GDP and is by far the largest user of
water. Almost 90% of the available water, including both surface and groundwater, is used in
agriculture for irrigation. We claim to have one of the best and largest irrigation systems in the
world; however, Pakistan is a water scarce country now where Per Capita water availability has

dropped to almost 1,000 cubic meters. Consequently, it has put our food security at risk because
an overwhelming majority of our food comes from irrigated agriculture. Agriculture is already
under stress to meet the food demand of the fast-growing Pakistani population. If history is
anything to go by, the situation is expected to increasingly get worse with serious implications
for food security and our existence at whole.
The sustainability of water resources is a challenge in Pakistan and is a consequence of multiple
factors: mismanagement of water resources, inadequate storage facilities, low water use
efficiency (WUE), water wastage, inappropriate cropping pattern and outdated water pricing
mechanism.
Pakistan has one of the lowest per capita water storage capacities in the world. The country has
per capita water storage capacity of 121 cubic meters that is equal to Ethiopia‘s capacity. Unlike
Pakistan, USA and China have per capita storage of over 2,000 cubic meters. Even India, our
next-door neighbor, despite being seven times more populous than us, has per capita storage
capacity of over 200 cubic meters. Storage of our major national reservoirs caters only 10% of
annual inflow, against the world average of 40%. Consequently, water storage capacity has
decreased to less than 30 days against the minimum requirement of 120 days (Development
Advocate Pakistan, issue 4, UNDP).

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We need to build multipurpose dams in the country
so that we can withstand the floods, droughts and store excess water from melting glaciers and
runoff from monsoon. Simultaneously, we need to strengthen the existing reservoirs.
Pakistan‘s water resources are confronted with conflicts. Distribution of water among different
federating units has been a problem since 1947. Inter provincial accord of 1991, known as water
apportionment accord of 1991, has failed to fix it. Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has
failed to implement the accord according to its letter and spirit due to the lack of trust among
provinces that arises because of many reasons: absence of irrigation infrastructure in KPK and
Balochistan, accord‘s weak framework, lack of accurate and real-time measurement of water etc.
Policies that promote data secrecy impede the effectiveness of institutions that are tasked with
planning and allocation of resources. Opacity creates an atmosphere of mistrust. Lack of trust
and scarcity of resources will increase more competition and conflicts among all stakeholders.
We need to build the capacity of the federal and provincial institutions responsible for water data
management. They perform complex and interdependent functions of modelling, forecasting,
water monitoring, distribution and use. Federal legal mandate should be clarified for collection
and sharing of water information. In addition to that, measures should be taken to strengthen the
provincial level regulatory frameworks for access of groundwater and for its management and
regulation. National water policy 2018 has proposed measures to establish a National Water
Council to provide essential support for cross-jurisdiction basin planning. It is imperative to
establish an implementation framework for National Water Policy that articulates roles, time
frames and process for basin planning.
Pakistan has one of the largest irrigation networks in the world, covering over 17 Million
hectares and registering losses of over 60% of irrigation water (Pakistan Academy of Sciences,
Islamabad). Water courses, Flood irrigation system, canals, and distributary channels are few of
the major channels that cause most water losses. The percentage of Non-revenue water (NRW),
for which no price is charged, is around 45-50% as compared to the world‘s average of 10-15%.
Whilst not compromising on the efforts to augment the storage and supply, we need to also focus
on better management of available water. Conventional approach of ‗Build-neglect-rebuild‘ is
neither sustainable nor efficient and causes annual loss worth 11 billion dollars of assets in
irrigation infrastructure according to a study of the World Bank. Water courses should be
improved to minimize seepages, leakages and other losses. Simultaneously, we need to adopt the
appropriate sowing methods including bed-plantation and Direct seeded Rice (DSR). Water
saving techniques such as raised beds, drip irrigation and rain guns should be encouraged. The
Punjab agriculture department has provided subsidies worth billions of rupees on installation of
drip system on shared basis to hundreds of thousands of farmers however its use is still seen as
an exception than rule. Need of the hour is to scale up this initiative to all such areas where it is
commercially feasible.

As per a study published by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Pakistan has one
of the lowest water use efficiency (WUE) when it comes to a crop yield per hectares. In case of
wheat, it stands at 0.5kg/cubic meter compared with 1kg/cubic meter in India. Similarly,
Pakistan gets 2.5 tons/hectares wheat against the India‘s average of 3.5 tons/hectares despite
having similar climate and land characteristics. WUE should be improved by at least 25% to
increase efficiency.
The state agencies responsible for water management lack the capacity and have no-to-limited
knowledge about the current best practices. We need to improve the capacity of the institutions
that are responsible for recording, monitoring and analysis of ground water data. Instead of
billing the irrigation tariff to the farmer at a cost that is contrary to reality, we need to reform the
irrigation tariffs according to the realistic operational and maintenance costs. We should employ
advance data techniques to record the actual consumption. It would enable us to charge a
consumer in proportion to his actual consumption and would force water conservation.
A latest report of the Federal Commission on Agriculture tells us that water loving crops are
getting increasing share of the total cultivated area. Rice and sugarcane top the water
consumption chart. It takes an unbelievably high quantity of 3,000 liters and 1,500 liters of water
to produce one kilogram of rice and sugar respectively. Ironically, they are being cultivated on
more and more area. This time, rice was cultivated on more than 3.3 million hectares. This large
scale shifting to rice, even in the areas where groundwater resources are already under stress, for
instance district Sanghar in Sindh, has put intense pressure on groundwater reservoirs being
depleted at an alarming rate.
It would require coordinated and concentrated efforts to discipline the unchecked growth of
water loving crops. Firstly, we should map areas which have enough water to support the
cultivation of water loving crops. Secondly, water loving crops should be replaced with edible oil
crops that need one tenth of the water than rice and sugarcane in the areas where rice is being
currently cultivated and level of underground water has gone to historic low. Local production of
edible oil will reduce our import bill and save billions of rupees of water too because we actually
export water when we dispatch rice to other countries.
We have witnessed mushroom growth of tube wells across the country that are major cause of
ground water depletion. Nearly 65% of the water used for irrigation purposes is pumped through
tube wells. A policy should be devised to regulate the installation and operation of tube wells for
minimizing the excessive extraction of ground water.
We are running against time. The country‘s water challenges must be addressed on emergency
basis to protect climate, economy and life. It is a real and existential crisis and needs a befitting
and conscious response.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40034295/looming-crisis-of-water-scarcity-over-pakistan-challenges-
implication-and-way-forward

DA gives P2.8-M aid to farmers, irrigators groups
ZAMBOANGA. The Department of Agriculture (DA), through its rice program, distributes
some P2.8 million worth of farm machinery, equipment and rice seeds to 13 farmer's and
irrigator's associations in this city. A photo handout shows farm machinery are being unloaded
from a truck for distribution to the recipients. (SunStar Zamboanga)
November 20, 2020
THE Department of Agriculture (DA), through its rice program, has turned over P2.8 million
worth of farm machinery, equipment and rice seeds to 13 farmer's and irrigator's associations in
Zamboanga City, officials said Friday, November 20.
Arnulfo Estrada, DA-Zamboanga City agricultural program coordinator, said the recipients, who
are from the second district, received one farm hand tractor, one rice reaper, one floating tiller,
two riding-type transplanters, one rice thresher and six knapsack sprayers.
Estrada said the distribution of machinery and equipment, which was held Tuesday, November
17, in Manicahan village covered court, was made possible through the DA Rice Program-
Agricultural Machinery, Equipment and Facilities Support Services (AMEFSS).
The recipients were Bolong San Isidro Irrigators' Association (IA), Manicahan Busog and
Tadtaran IA, Preza Curuan IA, Curuan IA, Vitali IA, Zone 3 Bunguiao IA, Luuk Madalum
Farmers' Association (FA), Lower Tigbao FA, Camino Nuevo FA, Mampang Irrigated FA,
Tictapul IA, Sitio Dabuy IA, Lower and Upper Quiniput IA, and Sibulao-Mangusu-Vitali IA.
Estrada said a share of 56 bags of rice seeds out of the 90 bags for Zamboanga City were also
distributed to Curuan and Vitali agricultural districts as recovery and rehabilitation support under
the Rice Program's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM).
Estrada noted that the rice farms in the two agricultural districts have been affected by
consecutive typhoons that hit the country since October, this year.
"We are always ready to provide the farmers with seeds because we have buffer stocks which
come in at times of crisis, like these heavy rains, flash floods and other natural disasters," Estrada
said.
Councilor Al-Jihan Edding, City Council's Committee on Agriculture chairperson, also
empowered the farmers with her disclosure of the increased budget for the agri-fishery sector for
the year 2021 citing the procurement of three heavy-duty tractors with implements and the

enhanced livelihood projects for the farmers and fisherfolk.
Nathan Dawang, Preza Curuan IA president, expressed gratitude to DA and the City Government
for the farm assistance given them on behalf of the association beneficiaries. (SunStar
Zamboanga)
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1877474/Zamboanga/DA-gives-P28-M-aid-to-farmers-irrigators-
groups
‗It was a total invasion‘: the virus that came back from the
dead
After Janet Parker caught smallpox, there was a mass vaccination programme in Birmingham.
Composite: Getty/Guardian Design Team
In 1978, a photographer at a Birmingham lab fell ill with smallpox, prompting a race against
time to prevent an epidemic. Does the outbreak carry lessons for Covid-19? Sally
Williams reports
Sat 21 Nov 2020 09.30 GMTLast modified on Sun 22 Nov 2020 17.57 GMT
On Friday 11 August 1978, Janet Parker was getting ready for work when her head started to
pound. She thought she was coming down with flu: she felt sore all over. But she had lots to do
that day, so her husband, Joseph, drove her to Birmingham University, where she worked as a
photographer in the medical school‘s anatomy department.
At 40, Parker‘s life was steady. She and Joseph, a Post Office telecoms engineer, lived in a
modest house in Kings Norton, a quiet suburb of Birmingham. They had two dogs, and were
close to her parents, who lived nearby. Parker was an only child, and her father worked for a
small family firm in Birmingham‘s jewellery quarter. She got into a grammar school and stayed
on beyond 16, unlike many children from her background. Her first job was to photograph crime
scenes for the West Midlands police, being summoned, often in the middle of the night, to
photograph the aftermath of brutal murders, bodies with alarming injuries and blood-spattered
walls.
In 1976, aged 37, she got a job with more regular hours, as a photographer in the medical school
on the leafy campus in Edgbaston. Her job was to photograph tissue sections on slides, and take
pictures for academic materials. Occasionally, she would photograph primates; the medical
school had a large animal colony at the time, with macaques, baboons and marmosets, as well as
rabbits, rats and mice.

Within days, 10 countries would be demanding holidaymakers from Britain have a vaccination
before they could enter
There was no staff canteen; instead, a group of employees, mostly women, met in a bay off a
corridor in the anatomy department. They were known as the ―coffee club‖. ―We‘d meet up mid-
morning, lunchtime and mid-afternoon,‖ says Glenda Miller, 70, then a research technician.
―We‘d knit and chat. Sometimes, Janet would study.‖ She was taking an Open University degree.
On Monday 14 August, Parker didn‘t turn up. On Wednesday, Miller rang to see how she was.
By now she had developed red spots on her chest, limbs and face. Parker‘s GP had made the
tentative diagnosis of chickenpox after a home visit, although her mother was sceptical as she
had nursed Parker through the illness as a child. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for cystitis
and a painkiller. ―Janet sounded tired,‖ Miller continues. ―Then she said, ‗I‘ve never felt so ill in
my life.‘ And that was it. I never heard any more.‖ Just over a week later, on Thursday 24
August, Parker was diagnosed with smallpox, a lethal, highly contagious virus that had been
eradicated with great fanfare only a year before.
The diagnosis triggered a public health emergency in Birmingham, then home to just over a
million people, was debated in parliament and worried World Health Organization officials in
Geneva. The mystery of how Janet caught smallpox, and its tragic consequences, have since
been the subject of two investigations, and most recently a book, The Last Days Of Smallpox, by
Mark Pallen, a professor of microbial genomics at the University of East Anglia. Pallen has his
theories, but exactly how Parker became infected has never been fully explained.
Now, the case has taken on a new resonance. The terror of a deadly virus, a city‘s scramble to
stave off catastrophe, the emotional toll affecting those on the frontline, all the lives changed for
ever – it could be a description of our current crisis. Does what happened in Birmingham more
than 40 years ago offer lessons for today‘s battle with Covid-19?
***
Smallpox kills by disabling the immune system. The first symptoms are a high fever, headache,
backache and vomiting. Then the rash appears and slowly spreads. It starts in the mouth, lightly
covers the trunk, but the greatest devastation is to the extremities – face, arms, legs, hands and
feet. The spots start out flat and red, ballooning into large, fluid-filled pustules. Those who
survive are often permanently scarred. Some are left blind.
For thousands of years, smallpox had been a fact of life, killing millions. The Crusaders spread it
through Europe, and European colonists infected Native Americans, transforming the continent
for ever.
Smallpox is a poxvirus, a group of brick- or oval-shaped viruses that can infect animals and
humans; others include myxomatosis and cowpox (chickenpox is not caused by a poxvirus, but a

herpes virus). Like Covid-19, smallpox is thought to have jumped from animals to humans. It is
spread through coughs and sneezes, and lives on surfaces, particularly the bedding and clothing
of those with the disease, as sores leak the virus, even when crusted over.
Prof Henry Bedson, who ran the lab at Birmingham University. Photograph: BPM Media
Smallpox is mild for some, deadly for others. Roughly 30% of patients die (compared with
around 1% for Covid-19) and in contrast to the seeming invulnerability of most children to
Covid-19, mortality is high for babies and young children. Then, as now, health experts pinned
their hopes on a vaccine.
In 1967, there were still 15m cases in 44 countries, from Nepal to Brazil to Afghanistan. Some of
the most heavily infected countries were also some of the world‘s poorest. That year, the WHO
launched the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme, a 10-year mass vaccination effort,
involving 150,000 field workers in about 50 countries. At first, in an echo of Covid-19, the aim
was to achieve ―herd immunity‖ – though rather than relying on people getting the disease and
becoming immune as a result, the tactic was mass vaccination. This approach was not very
successful, particularly in densely populated countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, as
the virus could still be transmitted even when 95% of the population was vaccinated.
From 1969 onwards, the WHO recommended ―ring vaccination‖: tracing, isolating and
immunising contacts. The idea was to wall off the disease with protective rings of immune
individuals. The strategy capitalised on the relatively slow spread of the disease – smallpox has
an incubation period of about 12 days when the patient is not infectious. This meant that once a
case was identified there was time to act. And while the smallpox vaccine works best if given
before any exposure to the disease, having the jab up to three days after exposure offers some
protection.
Every conceivable method of transport was used to get the vaccine to its targets: Jeeps,
motorcycles, bicycles, mules, even elephants. Doctors swam across rivers with vaccine
equipment on their heads. By October 1977, there was thought to be only one case remaining:
Ali Maow Maalin, 23, from Merca, a port in Somalia. Although Maalin had worked as a
vaccinator in the smallpox eradication programme, and then as a cook in a hospital, he had never
been vaccinated himself. He picked up the virus after getting in a car carrying two small children
with smallpox, to direct the driver to an isolation camp.
Within eight days of Maalin‘s smallpox being confirmed, everyone who lived in the 792 homes
in his neighbourhood was vaccinated, as well as all those leaving and entering the city. In all,
54,777 people were vaccinated over two weeks. Transmission ceased. Smallpox was eradicated.
But the virus lived on in laboratories around the world. Established in 1779, Birmingham
medical school is one of the oldest in the country. Janet Parker‘s photographic studio and
darkroom were on the first floor. On the floor below was the department of medical
microbiology. It contained a poxvirus laboratory, and within that a small room, 8ft square, with a

sealed window and a freezer stocked with vials of variola major virus, the cause of the more
lethal form of smallpox.
The head of department was Prof Henry Bedson, a slight and quietly spoken man in his late 40s,
an international expert in animal poxviruses, and a valued member of the WHO‘s smallpox
eradication campaign. His laboratory was one of fewer than 20 in the world to hold stocks of the
virus, including two others in the UK – Liverpool medical school and St Mary‘s medical school,
London.
Despite the eradication, the worry was that there could be another poxvirus ready to jump from
animals to humans, and Bedson wanted to be prepared. His research was focused on finding
more efficient methods of distinguishing between different kinds of smallpox, and between
smallpox and the diseases that could mimic it.
On 26 May 1978, Bedson drove to London to visit Prof Keith Dumbell, a smallpox expert at St
Mary‘s medical school. Dumbell handed over some vials of smallpox virus. They included an
exceptionally virulent strain, isolated in 1970 from two Pakistani patients – a three-year-old boy
called Abid and an 18-year-old man called Taj. Bedson drove the virus 120 miles back to
Birmingham. The laboratory started work on the Abid strain in mid-July.
***
August 1978 was a busy time in East Birmingham hospital. Four patients were in intensive care
suffering from botulism poisoning after eating salmon sandwiches, and there was a shortage of
nurses.
―We‘d also had a hepatitis outbreak traced to an acupuncturist the year before,‖ says Linda
Sutherland, then a sister in one of the four infectious diseases wards. Sutherland, now 66 and
living in Worcestershire, had always wanted to be a nurse. Her father‘s sisters were nurses, and
they had ended up working in China and India.
‗What kind of exciting case would I meet?‘ says Linda Sutherland. ‗Never in a million years did I think
of smallpox.‘ Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian
As soon as she was old enough, she enrolled at the South Edinburgh School of Nursing, where
she found her specialism: infectious diseases. ―It‘s like unravelling a mystery,‖ she says. ―Where
have they been, what have they been doing?‖ Even today, she is very attuned to the spread of
disease and likes windows to be kept open. ―It‘s a family joke. My sons grew up freezing cold.‖
In 1977, aged 24, Sutherland moved to East Birmingham hospital. She wanted to study
infectious diseases in more depth. Within a year, she was promoted to sister.
On 24 August 1978, unbeknown to Sutherland, there was an emergency admission to the
hospital. At 3pm, Parker was wheeled into an isolation cubicle in ward 32 of the infectious
diseases unit. By now, she was in the second week of her illness, and had spent the previous

three days at her parents‘ house. Her rash was getting worse, and she had been prescribed a
sedative.
The doctors were puzzled. Parker had a temperature of 38C, complained of aching limbs, and
had pustular eruptions all over her body. But as newspapers had announced the last known case
of the disease a year before, smallpox was the last thing on anyone‘s minds. Parker hadn‘t been
out of the country, and had been vaccinated against the disease in 1966. But as they noted her
raised white cell count and mild renal failure, a terrifying realisation took hold: they had a case
of one the world‘s most dangerous and contagious diseases in a busy hospital in suburban
Birmingham.
Alasdair Geddes, a consultant in infectious diseases, arrived at Parker‘s bedside around 8pm. He
took samples from three of her spots and drove to the medical school, where he met Bedson.
Earlier that evening, Geddes had called him, saying: ―I have a suspected smallpox here, Henry,
and it‘s a lady who works as a photographer in the medical school.‖ Geddes knew Bedson was
working on smallpox in the same wing. The line went quiet.
At about 10pm, Bedson fed the samples into an electron microscope. To his horror, he saw the
telltale brick-shaped particles, which could mean only one thing.
***
Dr Surinder Bakhshi was at home in Gloucester when he received the call to say that smallpox
had arrived in Birmingham. Bakhshi grew up among the Indian Sikh community in Dar es
Salaam, in east Africa. After studying medicine in Kampala, Uganda, he worked as a medical
officer in Zambia, before moving to the US to do a master‘s in public health. He moved to the
UK in 1974.
Amiable and ambitious, at 37, Bakhshi had landed the job of medical officer for environmental
health in Birmingham. No one thought he would get the job, least of all him. ―I had the
qualifications, but as an immigrant you‘ve always got to start at the bottom,‖ he says, when we
meet at his home in Birmingham. ―When I started work, people wouldn‘t speak to me – not even
my secretary, for a couple of weeks. I used to tell my wife, ‗I feel very sorry for them – they look
at me and feel unhappy.‘‖
Barely eight months later, Bakhshi was faced with the task of saving Britain‘s second largest city
from smallpox. At 10am the day after he got the call, he met his boss, William Nicol,
Birmingham‘s area medical officer, and other members of a hastily set up advisory committee,
including Bedson and Geddes, as well as medical experts from national and international
organisations. The committee would meet every day until 16 September.
Dr Surinder Bakhshi, who was in charge of containing the virus: ‗Every person was visited. We didn‘t
tell anyone by phone.‘ Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian

They set up a smallpox control centre in the basement offices of Birmingham city council, with
satellite centres at the medical school and hospital. Bakhshi was responsible for containing the
virus in the community. The strategy was clear from the outset: trace and quarantine contacts;
smallpox jabs for those who hadn‘t been recently vaccinated; an antibody injection for the most
vulnerable; and an antiviral drug for those directly exposed to the disease. ―Contact tracing and
containment are in the genes of any public health doctor,‖ Bakhshi says now.
Even so, systematically searching for contacts across the city, who were then instructed to isolate
in their homes, was a complex operation. Bakhshi‘s first achievement was to secure an unlimited
budget from the local authority (the response would go on to cost more than £200,000).
Bakhshi received reports from the police and neighbours about people breaking quarantine. ‗You
accepted it would happen‘
He requisitioned three floors of the Holiday Inn for staff to rest. He booked cabs, so that they
could get around and home safely: ―I made a rule that no woman should travel alone after 6pm.‖
And he paid for three restaurants to supply meals around the clock. ―In every outbreak I have
dealt with, the first thing that comes to my mind is, where‘s the food?‖ (Bakhshi applies the
same principle to our between-lockdowns interview, cooking me a lunch of chickpea curry and
basmati rice, followed by rice pudding and clotted cream ice-cream, despite being 83 and living
alone.)
News of the outbreak first hit the headlines on 26 August. There was widespread anxiety and
fear. The health secretary launched an inquiry into the ―tragic occurrence‖ in Birmingham, to be
led by Prof Reginald Shooter, a bacteriologist. Parliament debated the issue of dangerous
pathogens leaking from laboratories.
―On the second day, the deputy chief medical officer came up from London and said, ‗This is a
national emergency, do you think you can manage it?‘‖ remembers Bakhshi. ―Then he
apologised and said, ‗Go ahead, it‘s your responsibility. But let me know if you need anything.‘‖
In the control centre, 25 phone lines were staffed around the clock. ―Mothers would ring at 2am
or 3am: ‗My kid has a rash.‘ And we would respond immediately.‖ Mass vaccination was not
considered necessary, but as the news had broken over the bank holiday weekend, there was a
rush for jabs for those travelling abroad. (By 1 September, 10 countries would be demanding
holidaymakers from Britain have a vaccination before they could enter.)
Within 24 hours, most of Parker‘s principal contacts had been tracked down, including two
people from the medical school who were by then in the US and Germany. Reg Wickett, then 53,
a hospital engineer who had been working in a ward close to Parker, had to cut short his holiday
in Dorset. Cathy Hyde, 22, a physiotherapist, had to cancel her wedding and go into quarantine.
Bakhshi knew there could be many more out there.
Dr John Makuena vaccinates a member of the public in Birmingham in August 1978. Photograph:
Mirrorpix/Getty Images

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