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1. 4th
March 2022 Rice News
Rice: Gauging Success Story Via Integrated Milling Plants
March 4, 2022
Author
Taiwo Hassan
Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement on the country’s border reopening to curb
imported rice, there is no gainsaying that the rice policy of the Federal Government has been
successful, especially in terms of the number of emerging integrated rice mills, multiplier effects
on farmers’ productivity and food availability in the land.
In order to justify the policies of the Federal Government on agriculture to be working in all
fronts, a data collation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that over 58 new
integrated rice mills have been facilitated through various agric interventions in the last seven
years. No doubt, the importance of reemergence of the mills is a pointer that Nigeria’s quest
towards achieving food sufficiency is on course despite the hurdles created by insecurity in the
country’s agricultural space and border reopening. However, the hallmark of the number of
emerging integrated rice mills set up following CBN’s introducton of the Anchor Borrowers’
Programme has been the multiplier effect on farmers’ productivity, food availability, job creation
and poverty alleviation.
To buttress the country’s aggregate rice production growth, the CBN data on floating of the
integrated rice mills quoted the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, as saying that rice mills in
Nigeria were fewer than 10 in 2015, with a combined capacity of less than 350,000 metric tonnes
yearly.

2. However, as of January 2022, there were over 58 integrated mills with a combined capacity of
three million metric tonnes, thanks to President Buhari’s vision to allow the apex bank key into
rapidly growing rice production in the country.
Specifically, the CBN governor had explained that ABP, introduced in 2015, had a catalyst
effects on rice cultivation, processing and other value chain activities. Indeed, Emefiele recently
added that about 10 more integrated mills would be opened this year, totaling 68 in anticipation
of making Nigeria a real hub of rice producers and exporters in the African continent. According
to him, “food security remains a cardinal deliverable for every developing economy as it serves
as the fulcrum of many other economic development indices at this period of induced COVID-
19.” Also, the apex bank has assured rice millers of collaboration to boost the rice value chain in
Nigeria despite the border reopening by government.
President Buhari had stated that he opened the borders of the country, especially around the
troubled North, because he wanted the armed forces to hold on to their constitutional duties to
secure the borders. However, the CBN governor has called on integrated millers in the country to
also invest in cultivation of rice paddies to complement smallholders’ production and boost
availability of raw materials for their mills while driving the policy of the country to be self-
sufficient in rice production.
Emefiele made this known in Kano recently while unveiling Gerewa Rice Mill, an integrated 420
metric tonnes per day rice mill. He urged rice mill operators to get involved in paddy cultivation
as part of their backward integration plans and cooperation with the Nigerian Rice Farmers
Association (RIFAN) for sustainability.
“The private sector-led Accelerated Agriculture Development Scheme provides long-term
financing options to millers to finance commercial farms, land development, irrigation facilities;
and other agricultural infrastructure that will enhance the production plan,” Emefiele said at the
event. Mr Reji George, who led the establishment of Olam’s fully integrated, Africa’s largest
mechanised commercial farm and milling facility at Rukubi, in Nasarawa State and its massive
out-grower scheme), said Nigeria’s rice sector had made significant strides in respect of
increased productivity and production volumes of smallholder farmers, thereby increasing the
profitability of rice growing, and processors were getting sustainable volumes of high-quality
paddies for their mills.
A rice miller and Managing Director, Vertex Rice, Lokoja, Kogi State, Afis Oladejo, explained
that the policies of government on local rice production, processing and consumption, to a great
extent, had triggered establishment of new and upgrade of existing rice mills and local rice
consumption. Also, the Chairman, Bukan Sidi-Lafia Rice Innovation Platform (IP), Nasarawa
State, and National President, Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria
(ASSAPIN), Joshua Jonathan, said policies, ranging from limited forex for food imports, closure
of some land borders to supporting smallholder farmers, had improved rice productiom in terms
of quantity, quality and increased consumption of locally produced rice in Nigeria
https://www.newtelegraphng.com/rice-gauging-success-story-via-integrated-milling-plants/
Kenya introduces new hybrid rice in Mwea
By
Anita Anyango

3. March 2, 2022
A new hybrid rice has been introduced in Mwea, Kenya. Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, the director
in charge of programs and commercialization at the African Agriculture Technology Foundation
(AATF), made the announcement and said the new rice variety is more yielding and early
maturing.
The move is set to replace the demand for imported rice in the country. According to Dr.
Emmanuel Okogbenin, the new breed of rice according to scientists is more favorable to the
Kenyan masses and is cheap when compared with the imported rice.
African Agriculture Technology Foundation (ATTF) has been collaborating with Kenya
Agricultural Research and Livestock Organization in Mwea in the development of the hybrid
rice. Already 400 acres have been supplied with the rice and true to the expert’s words’ the crop
is already growing faster than the traditional rice.
Rice consumption in Kenya
“It is heart breaking for Kenya and the entire Africa to continue importing food while they have
the ability to produce their own at a local level. Our objective is to achieve prosperity for the
farmers through technology as will be evidenced through the hybrid rice. There is a greater need
for the adoption of the technology in order to increase rice production in Kenya and in Africa as
a whole,” Okogbenin said.
Okogbenin said the level of rice consumption in Kenya stands at 650,000 tons as compared to
the production, which is at 150,000 tons. As a result, the deficit is met by the importation of
500,000 tons of rice yearly. The crop scientist further observed consumption of rice has
increased by 13% while productivity grew by only 3% and hence the need to jump start rice
production in the country.

4. Attorney-General charges EOCO to go after multi-national
firms evading tax
Attorney-General, Godfred Dame with Members of EOCO Board
Attorney-General inaugurates new governing EOCO Board
Stephen Raymond Dapaa-Addo chairs EOCO Board
Make EOCO efficient by boosting revenue generation – A-G tasks
Attorney General and Minister of
Justice, Godfred Dame, has charged the
Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO)
not to relent on going after multi-national
companies that evade tax in the country.
According to him, the EOCO has somewhat over
the years defaulted in its role when it comes to
recovery of crime proceeds in a timely manner.
Speaking at the inauguration of the governing board of EOCO on Wednesday, March 2,
2022 Godfred Dame charged members to deliver on its mandate in order to ensure the Office
becomes a revenue-generating one for the government.
“On my working visit to the offices of EOCO recently, I felt constraint to make the remark about
the relatively low record of money it had recovered from the proceeds of crime," he said.
“It is undesirable for perpetrators of economic crime to conceal or keep the fruits of the crimes
against the people of Ghana. Such a situation breeds mistrust in the system and rubs the nation of
the much-needed revenue for the executive of lofty development projects,” the A-G said.
He continued, “In my respectful view, the mandate to recover proceeds of crime is one that
places EOCO squarely in the position to contribute to the national purse by being a major
generator of revenue.”
“I implore the new board to formulate policies and superintend the affairs of the organization in
the manner so as to efficiently boost its recovery of proceeds or crime,” Godfred Dame urged.
New EOCO Board
The governing Board of the Economic and Organised Crime Office has been inaugurated on
March 2, 2022.
The reconstitution of the Board is in line with Section 4 (2) of the Economic and Organised
Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804).

5. The EOCO Board is chaired by Stephen Raymond Dapaa-Addo, former Executive Director of
the Crime Office.
Others are; COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah; Inspector General of Police Rep. (Deputy
Commissioner of Police), Ernest Kwabena Owusu; Narcotic Control Commission Rep. (Ag.
Deputy Director-General).
The rest are; Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh; Attorney General Rep. (Deputy Attorney-General and
Deputy Minister for Justice), Alfred Tuah-Yeboah; Ghana Revenue Authority Rep. (Deputy
Commissioner, Ethics and Good Governance), Iddisah Seidu Esq., Ghana Revenue
Authority Rep., Peter Kwasi Dadzie, Ghana Bar Association Rep., COP George Alex Mensah,
Lt. Col. A. Serebour (Rtd.) Minister of National Security Rep. (Chief Director).
EOCO is specialised intelligence-led law enforcement agency established with the mandate to
investigate crime under the authority of the Attorney General.
EOCO also leads with the prosecution of economic crime and other serious offences as well as
the facilitation and confiscation of crime proceeds.
Some of the crimes include money laundering, human trafficking financial or economic loss to
the Republic, State entity or institution of which the State has financial interest.
Related Articles:
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Attorney-General-charges-EOCO-
to-go-after-multinational-firms-evading-tax-1482416
IndonesianagritechAgriAkureaps$6Minpre-SeriesAfunding
Catherine Shu@catherineshu / 11:58 AM GMT+5•March 3, 2022

6. Image Credits: AgriAku(opens in a new window)
AgriAku, a Jakarta-based B2B marketplace for farmers, announced today it has raised a pre-Series
A of $6 million. The round was led by Go-Ventures, with participation from MDI Arise, MDI
Centauri, Mercy Corps Social Venture Fund and angel investors. The funding will be used on
hiring and increasing AgriAku’s market penetration.
The marketplace enables retailers to buy supplies, including seeds, fertilizers and agrochemicals,
from wholesalers and manufacturers. Then the retailers sell those items to farmers. AgriAku’s goal
is to give retailers and farmers a bigger selection of products and access to transparent pricing. It
also gives suppliers business software, like bookkeeping and inventory management tools, to help
them make forecasts about what farmers will need.
AgriAku’s marketplace launched in May 2021 and the company says it has seen average month-
on-month growth of 200% in gross merchandise value over the past four months. The number of
active users on AgriAku is now about 10,000 registered farmer stores.
The company was launched last year by Irvan Kolonas, also founder of social enterprise agritech
startup Vasham, and Danny Handoko, who was previously CEO of Airy, an Indonesian hospitality
startup. The team also includes Rezky Haryanto Agustia, former assistant vice president for supply
chain and operations at e-commerce giant Bukalapak.
Kolonas told TechCrunch that AgriAku is a “culmination of a lifelong mission for me, as I first
took on the mission 10 years ago with the start of my first company Vasham, a social enterprise,
doing a full close-loop, full-stack model helping smallholder corn farmers.”
After spending years trying different models, including direct-to-farmer and retail stores, Kolonas
said he realized it was not sustainable to sell directly to farmers.
“Instead, we believe firmly now that the most important stakeholder is the Toko Tanis. The Toko
Tanis are our mitras or agents who distribute not only inputs but eventually other services to

7. farmers. We want to leverage the decades of relationship that have been built up by them as
community leaders with the farmers in their surrounding areas.”
AgriAku is the latest among several agritech startups in Indonesia that have recently announced
funding rounds. Other B2B marketplaces include TaniHub Group, which focuses on connecting
farmers with customers to sell their produce. Kolonas said AgriAku eventually also wants to
enable farmers to sell produce by connecting them to offtakers or factories like rice millers or corn
dryers
“Indonesia’s agricultural industry contributes significantly to the economy, at approximately
13.5% of GDP,” Go-Ventures partner Aditya Kamath said in a statement. “However, the upstream
agricultural market is highly fragmented with a disorganized value chain for agricultural inputs
such as seeds, fertilizers and agrochemicals. AgriAku’s B2B input marketplace platform is ideally
positioned to improve price transparency and market access for all stakeholders in the agricultural
inputs sector.”
https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/02/indonesian-agritech-agriaku-reaps-6m-in-pre-series-a-
funding/
Rice harvesting commences in Region Two
-paddy price not yet fixed by millers
A harvester in a rice field
By Stabroek News
March 4, 2022

8. Several millers on the Essequibo Coast are still clueless about what will be the price for a bag of
paddy for the current crop given the situation with the war in Ukraine. Millers explained that
they cannot decide the price since that is usually influenced by the global commodities market.
While some millers in Region Two are accepting paddy, others are still unsure as to how many
tonnes they should purchase for this crop.
When this newspaper spoke to millers, they said that they are looking forward to the crop, but
given the war and the current stock, this crop may be different for farmers.
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2022/03/04/news/guyana/rice-harvesting-commences-in-
region-two/
Pacquiao says gov’t should protect local rice farmers from cheap
imports
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Mar 04 2022 04:52 PM
Photo by Mark Demayo
Presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao said Friday the government should protect Filipino
farmers from the influx of imported rice which has been bringing down the farm gate price of
locally harvested palay.
Vising rice granary Nueva Ecija, Pacquiao said the Filipino farmers are suffering not only
because of the coronavirus pandemic but also because of the enactment of the Rice Tariffication
Law (RTL).

9. He said the RTL opened the floodgates for cheap and imported rice as it removed the
quantitative restriction for the importation of rice commodities.
 Pacquiao to voters: If you choose someone else, pick ‘God-fearing’ candidate
Pacquiao said that while the lifting of the QR is a government commitment as a signatory to the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of the World Trade Organization, he vowed to
review the RTL to shield farmers from the effects of unrestricted rice importation.
“Sinabi ko na yan na pagdating ng panahon eh sisiguraduhin natin na hindi maagrabyado ang
ating mga farmers at kung babaratin yung mga palay nila, hindi tayo papayag at ang gobyerno
ang bibili ng mga palay nila sa reasonable price,“ Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao noted that the decline in the country’s agricultural sector was caused by long years of
government neglect and unrestrained entry of smuggled agricultural products.
 Pacquiao willing to join all debates, fora: campaign manager
“Alam mo sa totoo lang ang ating gobyerno pahina na nang pahina– kumbaga walang power ang
ating gobyerno nakokontrol sila ng mga importation ng mga sindikato na yan at kawawa ang
mga farmers natin, “ Pacquiao said.
“(Dapat) maglaan ng pondo ang ating gobyerno para matulungan itong mga farmers natin at
kung ah maaari ang gobyerno na bibili sa kanila ng mga palay. Pati mga fertilizer na yan
supplyan sila ng ating gobyerno.“
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/04/22/pacquiao-govt-should-protect-rice-farmers-from-
cheap-imports
Global Audience Experiences a Day in the Life of a
Louisiana Rice Farmer
By Kane Webb
KAPLAN, LA – Last summer, Julie and Christian
Richard hosted a video production team from Wild
Hive, a strategy and communications firm from
Austin, Texas, to take part in a project highlighting
U.S. rice and seafood for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS). The video, “Sustainability and High-Quality
U.S. Ingredients - The Key to a Great Gumbo,” is
part of a larger project called DelicioUS!, a Global
Based Initiative (GBI) intended to curate a library of
video content that tells positive stories about U.S.
agriculture.
A camera crew goes in for a
close up of Louisiana rice
farmer Christian Richard at
work
“These videos are being used in the UK and EU markets initially, and are intended to share

10. compelling stories that depict the care and commitment of American producers across all
regions of the U.S,” explained Allison Beadle, Wild Hive CEO. “The stories focus
thematically on family heritage, sustainability, innovation, and the connection between
agriculture and regional culture in the United States.”
Beadle and her team started filming before sunrise to capture the full experience of how
sustainability plays a key role in U.S. rice production from sunup to sundown. Every
aspect of the Richard operation was included in the documentary process including rice
production, crawfish production, and the family’s involvement on the farm. Christian
provided narration to explain his farming practices and the role sustainability and
conservation play in the success of rice farming in today’s world.
“We have an open-door policy here at our farm,” Christian told the production team. “Julie
and I decided when we started this farm, we would welcome anyone to come and
experience what we do. If we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and we work hard to
protect our resources so the next generation can continue to farm this land long after we’re
gone.”
Throughout the day, the production team shot drone footage of waterfowl using the rice
fields as habitat and underwater clips of crawfish making their way around the shallow
waters of their feeding grounds. The full spectrum of the important ecosystem the Richards
provide through their sustainability and conservation efforts is in view. Like many of their
fellow rice producers, the Richards are committed to these practices year in and year out
while continuing to produce a high-quality rice crop.
Go here to view the video, and when you share it on social media, don’t forget to include
the hashtag #DeliciousFoodUSA.
USA rice daily
Rice importers cry out over cedi’s depreciation

11. 1d ago | Source: Graphic Online
Ms Ama Asantewaa Adjem, Sale and Marketing Executive, Imaginario Company Limited
The fast depreciation of the cedi against the United States dollar, the major currency used
for imports, is beginning to bite hard.
The cedi has lost significant value in the first two months of the year, raising concerns about the
impact on major imports such as agricultural produce, mainly rice among others.
Reports say, the cedi has lost more than seven per cent of its value making it one of the worst
performing currencies in Africa within the period.
The development is making rice importers especially, to feel the pinch, following the fall of the
local currency.
According to them, the falling cedi and what they described as the numerous taxes imposed on
imports are threatening the survival of their businesses, a development which might affect the
quantities imported to meet local demand for the agricultural produce which is one of the major
staples for Ghanaians..
It is presently trading at about GH¢6.70 at the interbank market while it is higher between
GH¢7.1 and GH¢7.2 on the black market.
Advantage
Presently, the country imports between 60 to 70 per cent the of the total amount of rice
consumed in the country while the remaining is grown locally.

12. It is not clear whether the development has presented itself as a good omen for the country which
is often slow in taking advantage of such opportunities to scale up its local production to meet
demand.
Much as there are some interventions through the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative by the
government to transform the agricultural sectors, rice imports has not reduced, forcing the
country to rely on imports to patch the gap in rice production.
Suffering the brunt
Imaginario Company Limited, an importer and distributor of Peacock Thai Hom Mali Jasmine
Rice in the country, is one of the firms suffering the brunt of the depreciating cedi.
Speaking to the Graphic Business during a market activation at Madina in the Greater Accra
Region on February 26, the Sale and Marketing Executive of the Imaginario Company Limited,
Ms Ama Asantewaa Adjem, said the rapid fall of the cedi was impacting the operations of her
firm, which is into the import of rice.
She said measures needed to be put in place to halt the depreciation of the Ghana cedi against
major international currencies.
The depreciation in the value of the cedi was making life difficult for traders especially those in
import business.
Market activation
Ms Adjem said the market activation formed part of Imaginario’s effort to draw closer to its old
customers while attracting new retail customers.
“Our mission is to bring quality products to the consumer but more importantly to adhere to rules
and regulations. Therefore, we will continue to do our best to bring quality products to our
customers within the laws of the country.
“The rice market is saturated with many products but we stand out. We are positioned in
advantageous areas in order to reach our customers,” she said.
Rice import
Ms Adjem stated that the company planned to import rice between 4,000 and 6,000 tonnes
annually.
“We are a new company but we deal in quality products for the market and our target is to
import and distribute between 4,000 and 6,000 tonnes of rice every year,” she said.
The company’s foundation is based on entrepreneurial excellence that is aimed at generating
value for stakeholders.
http://www.businessghana.com/site/news/business/257829/Rice-importers-cry-out-over-
depreciation
Two days in the life of iLEAD: Visits to Stuttgart and Lonoke
March 3, 2022
- Advertisement -

13. Photo collage courtesy of iLead and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
- Advertisement -
Wondering what iLEAD participants do? iLEAD is a developmental experience exploring
critical and emerging issues to help Division of Agriculture personnel become effective leaders.
iLEAD participants can increase their knowledge of the organization, build relationships, and
practice their leadership skills through a leadership service project. The latest face-to-face
seminar was held in Stuttgart and Lonoke on Feb. 17-18, 2022.
Here’s a synopsis of the session.
Day One
Rice Research and Extension Center
-
The iLEAD Cohort One was welcomed to the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) by
Dr. Alton Johnson, RREC Director. He shared his career path to his new position, information
about RREC, and his leadership style. Johnson said he participated in several leadership and
management training programs which helped him develop a transformational leadership style.

14. One participant noted in the evaluation that it was a highlight in the program to hear leaders in
their respective roles talk about their leadership lessons.
Dr. Chris Henry, associate professor and water management engineer, spoke about global and
state water use and water management studies with rice. He said research indicates that irrigation
is not sustainable in Arkansas. The study showed, “If no action is taken to address the
groundwater supply gap, over 80% of the acreage, or 3.8 million acres, projected for irrigation in
the East Arkansas Region will be without (groundwater) irrigation in 2050.”
Dr. Xueyan Sha, professor of plant rice and genetics, and Dr. Stan DeGuzman, assistant
professor and rice breeder, shared information about the Arkansas rice breeding program. Sha
said Arkansas ranks first among the six U.S. major rice-producing states, accounting for
approximately 45% of U.S. rice production. The UADA rice breeding program began in 1980
and the objectives are to increase yields, improve cooking and processing quality, and increase
disease resistance.
“Breeding is a numbers game. About 4,500 crosses were made, selected, and advanced in the last
five years,” he said.
Next, Dr. Yeshi Wamishe, extension plant pathologist, shared information about the plant
pathology extension programs for rice production. In her presentation, she talked about how
plant diseases are a real problem in rice. She said their focus is on applied research and
Extension education which includes education, field disease diagnosis, and providing
management strategies/options.
When sharing about her leadership style, she said she believes in leading by example and noted
“Nothing is about me; it is all about the job.”
Dr. Brad Watkins, professor agricultural economics, discussed Arkansas field crops and values,
farm sizes, farmland tenure, and cropland irrigation statistics. He said Arkansas County had 157
1,000-plus acre farms in 2017. Also, in eastern Arkansas, 18% of operators were full owners of
the land they farmed, 52% were part owners, and 30% were tenant farmers. One iLEAD
participant said he was surprised by those statistics.
The iLEAD group toured the molecular biology lab guided by Virginia Boyett, program
associate III. She shared with the participants information about the process, equipment, and
format of data results.
Grant Beckwith, Arkansas County extension staff chair, provided details about the
2021 Arkansas County Extension Educational Outreach. A few highlights of the details include:
 Total educational contact: direct – 8,455; media – 37,143,
 Total volunteer hours: 4,118
 Number of soil samples: 5,774
 Field demonstrations: 21
 Plant samples: 44
 4-H members: 41
 Family and Consumer Sciences: 7,343 educational contacts
 Community, Professional and Economic Development: 729 educational contacts
The last item of the day was a RREC tour led by Dr. Glenn Bathke, RREC assistant director.
iLEAD participants visited the greenhouse and toured the property.
Day Two
Dabbs’ Discovery Farm
Trent Dabbs, fourth-generation row-crop farmer, and Dr. Mike Daniels, an extension professor in
water quality, both discussed their leadership experiences and work with various agriculture and

15. conservation partners. Dabbs provided an overview of the farm and their efforts to combat
limited groundwater availability. Daniels discussed the founding of Arkansas Discovery
Farms and their work with the Arkansas Conservation Partnership.
When sharing information about his leadership style, Daniels said he tried to emulate the
characteristics of leaders he admired.
He said a leader once told him “Leadership is 80 percent showing up and being willing to work.”
Daniels said if you want to be a leader, find something to lead. It does not matter what role you
are in. Lee Riley, program associate, detailed how the edge-of-field monitoring equipment
works, and how samples and data are collected.
Lonoke Extension Center
Dr. Travis Faske, Lonoke Extension Center director, welcomed the group and shared information
about the Center. One of the participants noted that it was surprising that Lonoke did not have
any of its own farmland. Jodi Blackard, entomology and plant pathology administrative
coordinator, introduced staff and shared her career path and information about the center. The
group toured the Extension Center and visited the following:
 Fish diagnostic laboratory where Dr. Jyotsna Shrivastava, extension associate, and her
colleagues provide vital laboratory support for fish inspections and field support for research.
 Labs and greenhouse where researchers investigate the integrated use of host plant resistance
and nematicide/fungicide to manage plant-parasitic nematodes and fungal diseases.
 Seed treatment equipment. Dr. Ben Thrash, assistant professor and extension entomologist,
discussed and demonstrated how the equipment works.
 Plant spraying equipment. Dr. Tommy Butts, assistant professor and extension weed scientist,
demonstrated this new equipment used to research weed management practices to maximize
crop yields.
 Dr. Jeremy Ross, professor and extension soybean agronomist, discussed his work leading the
development of production recommendations for soybean and edamame in Arkansas and
providing leadership for educational programs in soybean production.
iLEAD members continue to learn about the research and educational programming that benefits
Arkansas citizens, expands agricultural sustainability and profitability, promotes environmental
stewardship, strengthens local and state economies, and ensures safe and nutritious food supply.
The iLEAD program enhances interpersonal skills through virtual and in-person sessions,
providing participants with knowledge, skills, and opportunities for growth. For more
information about the iLEAD program contact Dr. Julie Robinson, jrobinson@uada.edu or Lisa
Davis, ldavis@uada.edu.
https://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/two-days-in-the-life-of-ilead-visits-to-stuttgart-and-lonoke/
RCEF helps PH maintain food security amid pandemic: DA
By Christine Cudis March 3, 2022, 6:28 pm

16. (Photo courtesy of DA-COMMS)
MANILA – The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) contributed largely to the
Philippines' food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic, an official of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.
Deputy Executive Director of DA's Philippine Rice Research Institute Dr. Flordeliza Bordey said
through the DA’s RCEF, a program created by the Rice Tariffication Law, the
total palay (unhusked rice) production recorded a consistent high since it was implemented in
September 2019.
"Our total palay output only increased through the years since the implementation of RCEF. I
must say that this has largely contributed to the country's food security at this time of pandemic,"
Bordey said.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that palay production in 2018 was recorded
at 19.07 million metric tons (MMT). This was higher by 5.1 percent from the 18.15 MMT in
2015 and 8.2 percent from the 2016 level. However, it was lower by 1.1 percent than the 2017
output.
After the implementation of RCEF, the country reached a record-high of 19.29 MMT in 2020. It
was beaten by another record high palay output of 19.96 MMT, which was driven by the strong
rice harvest in 2021 -- 3.45 percent higher than the previous production.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the country could have easily breached 20MMT in 2021
but Typhoon Odette damaged more than 130,000MT of palay.
"[This] shows, however, that we are on the right track in our continuing efforts to increase the
production of our major staples, in partnership with millions of our farmers, local government
units, private sector, and agri-fishery industry stakeholders,” Dar said.
DA has implemented several measures to boost rice production last year through the Philippine
Integrated Rice Program, which includes programs under the RCEF, the National Rice Program,
and the Rice Resiliency Project (RRP).
The DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) led the implementation of the RCEF-Seed
Program and distributed 1.65 million bags (20 kg/bag) of certified inbred seeds during the 2021
dry season and 1.76 million bags during the wet season. These seeds benefited more than
660,000 and 713, 000 farmers during dry and wet seasons, respectively.
Bordey, meanwhile, added that since the start of their distribution in September 2019, over 8.5
million bags of rice seeds have been distributed nationwide.

17. She also urged farmers and fisherfolk to sign up with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA) to facilitate access to any agriculture-related assistance program of the
government.
RSBSA is the minimum requirement in availing of agriculture and fishery-related government
services such as financial assistance, subsidiary funding, and insurance services.
The RSBSA is an electronic compilation of basic information of farmers, farm workers, fishers,
and other target agriculture-related beneficiaries of the DA. Their data are encoded in the farmers
and fishery registry system managed by the DA-Central Office.
Those registered in the electronic database of government agencies are given priority in the
targeting and implementation of their respective programs, the DA said. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168992
The complete sequencing of the genetic material
facilitates the breeding of new varieties
Date:
March 3, 2022
Source:
Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
Summary:
More than 20 years after the first release of the human genome, scientists have for the
first time deciphered the highly complex genome of the potato. Their impressive
technical feat will accelerate efforts to breed superior varieties.
Share:
FULL STORY
More than 20 years after the first releasse of the human genome, scientists at the Ludwig-
Maximilians-Universität München and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in
Cologne, have for the first time decoded the highly complex genome of the potato. This
technically demanding study lays the biotechnological foundation to accelerate the breeding of
more robust varieties -- a goal in plant breeding for many years and an important step for global
food security.
When shopping for potatoes on a market today, buyers may well be going home with a variety
that was already available more than 100 years ago. Traditional potato varieties are popular. And
yet this example also highlights a lack of diversity among the predominant potato varieties.
However, that could soon change: researchers in the group of geneticist Korbinian Schneeberger
were able to generate the first full assembly of a potato genome. This paves the way for breeding
new, robust varieties:
"The potato is becoming more and more integral to diets worldwide including even Asian
countries like China where rice is the traditional staple food. Building on this work, we can now
implement genome-assisted breeding of new potato varieties that will be more productive and
also resistant to climate change -- this could have a huge impact on delivering food security in
the decades to come."
Especially the low diversity makes potato plants susceptible to diseases. This can have stark
consequences, most dramatically during the Irish famine of the 1840s, where for several years

18. nearly the entire potato crop rotted in the ground, and millions of people in Europe suffered from
starvation simply because the single variety that was grown was not resistant to newly emerging
tuber blight. During the Green Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s, scientists and plant breeders
succeeded in achieving large increases in the yields of many of our major crop staples like rice or
wheat. However, the potato has seen no comparable boost, and efforts to breed new varieties
with higher yields have remained largely unsuccessful to the current day.
The reason for this is simple but has proven difficult to tackle -- instead of inheriting one copy of
every chromosome from both the father and from the mother (as in humans) potatoes inherit two
copies of each chromosome from each parent, making them a species with four copies of each
chromosome (tetraploid). Four copies of each chromosome also mean four copies of each gene,
and this makes it highly challenging and time-consuming to generate new varieties that harbour a
desired combination of individual properties; what's more, multiple copies of each chromosome
also make the reconstruction of the potato genome a far greater technical challenge than was the
case for the human genome.
The researchers have overcome this longstanding hurdle using a simple yet elegant trick. Instead
of trying to differentiate the four, often very similar, chromosome copies from each other,
Korbinian Schneeberger together with his colleague Hequan Sun and other co-workers
circumvented this problem by sequencing the DNA of large numbers of individual pollen cells.
In contrast to all other cells, each pollen cell contains only two random copies of each
chromosome; this facilitated the reconstruction of the sequence of the entire genome.
An overview of the complete DNA sequence of cultivated potato has the potential of greatly
facilitating breeding and has been an ambition of scientists and plant breeders alike for many
years already. With this information in hand, scientists can now more easily identify gene
variants responsible for desirable or undesirable.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1. Hequan Sun, Wen-Biao Jiao, Kristin Krause, José A. Campoy, Manish Goel, Kat Folz-Donahue,
Christian Kukat, Bruno Huettel, Korbinian Schneeberger. Chromosome-scale and haplotype-
resolved genome assembly of a tetraploid potato cultivar. Nature Genetics, 2022;
DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01015-0
Cite This Page:
 MLA
 APA
 Chicago
Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. "Potato genome decoded: The complete
sequencing of the genetic material facilitates the breeding of new varieties." ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 3 March 2022. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220303112155.htm>.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220303112155.htm

19. Genome reconstruction opens doors to the transformation
of potato breeding
Peer-Reviewed Publication
MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR PLANT BREEDING RESEARCH
PrintEmail App
IMAGE: BEFORE THE POTATO WAS RECOGNIZED AS EDIBLE, IT WAS GROWN
IN EUROPE AS AN ORNAMENTAL PLANT. THE POLLEN IN THE LARGE
FLOWERS IS NORMALLY COLLECTED BY BUMBLEBEES FOR POLLINATION.
IN THE PRESENT STUDY, GENOMES FROM INDIVIDUAL POLLEN GRAINS
WERE ANALYSED TO PRODUCE THE FIRST COMPLETE MAP OF A POTATO
GENOME. view more
CREDIT: ULRICH POLLMANN, 2022
The potato is becoming more and more integral to diets worldwide including even Asian
countries like China where rice is the traditional staple food. Building on this work, we can now
implement genome-assisted breeding of new potato varieties that will be more productive and

20. also resistant to climate change – this could have a huge impact on delivering food security in the
decades to come”, says Prof. Korbinian Schneeberger about the potential unlocked by his study.
Shopping for potatoes on a market today, it is well possible that the buyer will be going home
with a variety that was already available more than 100 years ago. This is testament to the
enduring popularity of traditional potato varieties. However, it also highlights the lack of genetic
variety of prevailing potato varieties. This can have stark consequences, most dramatically
during the Irish famine of the 1840s, where for several years nearly the entire potato crop rotted
in the ground, and millions of people in Europe suffered from starvation simply because the
single variety that was grown was not resistant to newly emerging tuber blight. During the Green
Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s, scientists and plant breeders succeeded in achieving large
increases in the yields of many of our major crop staples like rice or wheat. However, the potato
has seen no comparable boost, and efforts to breed new varieties with higher yields have
remained largely unsuccessful to the current day.
The reason for this is simple but has proven difficult to tackle – instead of inheriting one copy of
every chromosome from both the father and from the mother (as in humans) potatoes inherit two
copies of each chromosome from each parent, making them a species with four copies of each
chromosome (tetraploid). Four copies of each chromosome also mean four copies of each gene,
and this makes it highly challenging and time-consuming to generate new varieties that harbour a
desired combination of individual properties; what’s more, multiple copies of each chromosome
also make the reconstruction of the potato genome a far greater technical challenge than was the
case for the human genome.
Researchers in the group of Prof. Korbinian Schneeberger have overcome this longstanding
hurdle and were able to generate the first full assembly of a potato genome using a simple yet
elegant trick. Instead of trying to differentiate the four, often very similar, chromosome copies
from each other, Korbinian Schneeberger together with Hequan Sun and co-workers
circumvented this problem by sequencing the DNA of large numbers of individual pollen cells.
In contrast to all other cells, each pollen cell contains only two random copies of each
chromosome; this allowed the scientists to reduce the complexity of the problem and finally to
reconstruct the sequence of the entire genome.
An overview of the complete DNA sequence of cultivated potato has the potential of greatly
facilitating breeding and has been an ambition of scientists and plant breeders alike for many
years already. With this information in hand, scientists can now more easily identify gene
variants responsible for desirable or undesirable traits, a first step towards incorporating or
excluding them during breeding.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible fo
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/945123
Scientists are breeding more resilient potatoes

21. 03-03-2022
ByAndrei Ionescu
Earth.com staff writer
The potato is being increasingly incorporated into regular diets worldwide, even in Asian
countries where rice has been the traditional staple food for millennia. However, unlike in the
case of other major crop staples such as rice or wheat, efforts to breed new varieties of potatoes
with higher yields have remained large unsuccessful.
A research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research is trying to solve
this problem by implementing genome-assisted breeding of new potato varieties that will be
more productive and resistant to climate change.
After shopping for potatoes on a market today, it is quite possible that the buyer will return home
with a potato variety which was already available a century ago. This is not only testament to the
enduring popularity of traditional potato varieties, but also highlights their lack of genetic
variety. This can have dramatic consequences, such as the Irish famine of the 1840s, where for
several years the only existent variety of potato crops was attacked by the newly emergent tuber
blight and rotted in the ground.
The difficulty of breeding different potato varieties stems from this plant’s genetic peculiarity.
Instead of inheriting one copy of every chromosome from both the father and the mother (as in
the case of humans), potatoes inherit two copies of each chromosome from each parent, making
them a tetraploid species.
This increased genetic complexity makes it highly challenging and time-consuming to generate
new varieties with desired combinations of individual properties. Moreover, multiple copies of
each chromosome also make the scientific reconstruction of the potato genome a highly
challenging task.

22. The scientists from the Max Planck Institute have managed to overcome these longstanding
problems and succeeded in generating the first full assembly of the potato genome through a
simple and elegant trick. Rather than trying to differentiate the four – often very similar –
chromosome copies from one another, the researchers sequenced the DNA of large numbers of
individual pollen cells, which contain only two random copies of each chromosome. This helped
them reduce the complexity of the problem and finally sequence the entire potato genome.
With this information, researchers can now identify more easily the genetic variants responsible
for desirable or undesirable traits, and incorporate or exclude them during breeding.
Improvements in potato breeding could have an enormous impact on delivering food security in
the decades to come.
—
https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-breeding-more-resilient-potatoes/
Agri machinery provider ADAMCO raises Php1.0
billion pesos from DBP and Security Bank
INQUIRER.net BrandRoom / 07:04 PM March 04, 2022
“Planting rice is never fun, bent from morning to the set of sun. Cannot stand and cannot sit,
cannot rest for a little bit.“
The playful song makes light of an accepted fact of life — it’s hard to be a farmer. So hard that the
typical farmer today approaching his senior years, simply does not want the same life for his
children. And so, the country faces a looming fundamental problem — who will feed us?
Ada Manufacturing Corporation (ADAMCO) provides a beacon of hope with their simple,
powerful solution: the farmer as entrepreneur. ADAMCO drives forward this solution, a
paradigm shift, by presenting to the farmer-entrepreneur that he can make a profitable business
from his agri-machinery acquisition by using these to provide services to his fellow farmers in land
preparation, tilling, transplanting, and harvesting. And ADAMCO makes acquisition happen
quickly in 37 branches located nationwide in the country’s top rice-producing regions.
This February 2022, the Development Bank of the Philippines and Security Bank Corporation
demonstrated their strong support for ADAMCO’s initiatives by participating in the One Billion
Peso (Php1,000,000,000.00) Corporate Notes Facility arranged by GIV Capital Holdings Corp. on
behalf of ADAMCO. The Notes have a five-year tenor, with principal to be repaid in equal
quarterly payments. The proceeds will be used to support the Company’s capital expenditure and
working capital requirements related to the development of its branch network.

23. Left to right: Divino Lorenzo F. Villanueva III Director GIV Capital Holdings Corporation, Jeffrey
D. Ligsay AVP – Trust Banking Group Development Bank of the Philippines, Ma. Felicia S.
Magtibay SAVP – Trust Banking Group Development Bank of the Philippines, Francis Nicolas M.
Chua FVP – Corporate Finance Group Development Bank of the Philippines, Virgilio “Vio” Chua
President SB Capital Investment Corporation, Jorge Lindley Ong SVP and Head of Banking
Centers Group, Virginia “Babet” Del Rosario VP and Head of Ortigas Banking Center 1, Paul D.
Lazaro SVP – Head of Development Lending Sector Development Bank of the Philippines,
Emmanuel G. Herbosa President and CEO Development Bank of the Philippines, Conrado A.
Gloria, Jr.President and CEO GIV Capital Holdings Corporation, Roberto P. Alingog Chairman of
the Board ADA Manufacturing Corporation, Ada Alethea A. Alingog-Nanayakkara President and
CEO, Maritess Gallardo Chief Finance and Administrative Officer, Charles M. Rodriguez EVP
and Head of Wholesale Banking Segment.
“We deeply appreciate the support of GIV Capital, DBP and Security Bank for what we are trying
to do for the country. My firm belief is that agriculture should be taken as a promising business,
and not as a dreaded occupational destination of the children of farmers. We do this by providing
access to top-notch equipment with reasonable financing terms.” says Mr. Roberto P. Alingog,
Founder and Chairman of ADAMCO. “With this fundraise, we will further solidify our presence
in the industry and show the country at large a simple truth — that farmers can make money in
modernized farming.”
“DBP shares the vision of ADAMCO in promoting modernity and technological advancement in
the agricultural sector, and in providing our farmers access to modern agricultural machinery. Like
ADAMCO, we also believe that modernization is a key element to agricultural productivity, which
is why it is our honor to be a part of this funding activity that aims to benefit our Filipino farmers
and agripreneurs.”, says Mr. Emmanuel G. Herbosa, President and CEO of DBP.
Security Bank believes that its funding extension to ADAMCO will go a long way in supporting
our farmers who produce our food. This is also a clear way of responding to the call of government
for the Banks to devote part of their portfolio to support the Agriculture industry. “This Corporate
Notes Facility is an important milestone in ADAMCO’s mission to help transform the agricultural
sector, and we look forward to support the company in its future endeavors. We’re proud to
support these projects that align with our mission to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build

24. communities sustainably through financial service excellence.” shares Mr. Charles M. Rodriguez,
Executive Vice President and Head of Wholesale Banking Segment of Security Bank.
ADAMCO had its humble roots in the 1970’s after its founder witnessed the lack of the simplest
motorized equipment in his home province of Isabela. The decades since have seen his business
develop into the leading dealer of agricultural equipment in the Philippines.
“In rice farming, mechanization is key. Since its introduction, Rice Combine Harvesters (RCH)
have been a hit among farmers. On top of reducing harvesting losses at an average rate of ten
percent (10%) through a superior process, the RCH also further reduces harvesting losses because
of the attendant timeliness and speed. Prior to the introduction of RCH, it will require twenty-five
(25) farm laborers to harvest one (1) hectare in one day. There are labor contractors who would
promise to bring the twenty-five (25) farm laborers on a certain agreed date when the rice crop is
ready to be harvested. On that date however, the contractor will bring five (5) people to harvest.
The harvesting will therefore be delayed. Like any fruit, palay grain when matured, falls to the
ground. This is called “splintering”. Palay has a splintering rate of two percent (2%) per day.
Hence, the delay caused by the lack of enough manpower results into substantial losses to the
farmer. This labor shortage situation is partly explained by the planting schedules which are
aligned with water availability. When irrigation dams have enough water and is released for field
irrigation, all the irrigation beneficiaries start to till. Hence, they also all harvest within a narrow
period of time. It is to a farmer’s advantage if he goes along with the schedule otherwise if he is
late in planting and late in harvesting, all the pest in the surrounding harvested fields will converge
on this remaining unharvested field causing high losses for the farmer. Modern machineries like
tractors, transplanters, and rice combine harvesters is therefore the key to more efficient farming. ”
explains Mr. Alingog.
Will mechanization result into unemployment for the farm laborers? “Since the 1970’s, when the
Philippines first started pushing for mechanized agri-machinery adoption, the theory that agri-
machinery will displace farm labor and result to massive unemployment in the countryside has
been hounding government policy-makers. However, there has never been a report that there was
indeed a large displacement of farm labor resulting into massive unemployment. What was
observed ever since was that farm labor had always been in short supply. One reason was that
farming families did not want (and still do not want) their children to become traditional farmers
who would do farming work manually. They aspire to send their children to become employees in
other industries, even as OFWs. Hence, the farmers who grow old and retire are not replenished in
the same rate resulting into fewer and older farmers with a high average age of farmers at fifty-
seven (57) years old. Hence, the perennial shortage of farm labor.” says Mr. Federico De Guzman,
Product Development Director of ADAMCO.
“It is always very heart-warming to see the excitement in the eyes of the farmers when we deliver
the agri-machinery to them and teach them how to operate the machines. Their feeling of going to
the next higher level of economic life is intense and palpable” shares Ms. Ada Alethea A. Alingog-
Nanayakkara, President of ADAMCO.
ADAMCO is ably supported in its mission by the well-established Yanmar brand of Japan,
manufacturer of a wide range of agricultural machinery like rice combine harvesters, tractors, and
transplanters with ADAMCO as its sole dealer in the Philippines. “We’re very pleased to see the
strong growth that ADAMCO has shown since we established our partnership with them. The
Philippine agriculture sector has so much untapped potential and we believe Yanmar and
ADAMCO have found the right approach to mechanize the industry and help bring the country to

25. the status it deserves,” Mr. Masatoshi Suyama, President of Yanmar Philippines Corporation
(YPC) said.
Looking ahead, much work still needs to be done. Mr. Conrado A. Gloria, Jr., President & CEO of
GIV Capital Holdings Corp., the financial advisor of ADAMCO and the Arranger for the
Corporate Notes Facility, elaborates: “This transaction is only the beginning for ADAMCO. Its
mission of spurring development at the grassroots level of agriculture is of utmost importance to
the country, and ADAMCO’s unique approach, the farmer as entrepreneur, is a transformative
one.”
New initiatives from both the private and public sector will be needed to fully address the food
security issues the country will face. At least one player is raring to take on the challenge — “For
as long as people will eat, there will be agriculture;” declares Mr. Alingog. “and for as long as
agriculture is needed to provide the food, there will be ADAMCO.”
It seems planting rice can be fun after all.
For more information, visit our website at adamco.ph or at our Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/adamcoph.
https://business.inquirer.net/342391/agri-machinery-provider-ada-manufacturing-corporation-
raises-php1-0-billion-pesos-from-dbp-and-security-bank
Researchers Decode The Complex Genome Of Potatoes
EconomyMarch 4, 2022
by Jake Pearson
The study analyzed the genomes of individual pollen that bumblebees usually collect for
pollination. Although the traditional potato that existed more than a hundred years ago is
popular, it highlights the lack of diversity among the dominant varieties.

26. “Potatoes are becoming part of the basic nutrition system around the world,” said Corbinian
Schneiberger, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ). The
tuber is increasingly influential in Asian countries. Potato varieties that are more productive and
resistant to climate change “will have a major impact on global food security in the coming
decades.”
Low variety makes potato plants susceptible to diseases. This was especially evident during the
Irish famine of the 1840s. Since only one variety was grown, almost the entire potato crop was
destroyed in the soil for years. It does not resist the newly emerging drought.
Intricate potato genome
In the 1950s and 1960s, plant breeders succeeded in significantly stabilizing the yield of staple
foods such as rice and wheat. However, there was no development comparable to that of
potatoes.
Researchers say this is due to the complex genetics of potatoes. Instead of claiming one copy of
each chromosome, as in humans, the potato receives two copies of each chromosome from each
parent, resulting in four copies of each chromosome.
This means four more copies of each gene, making it very difficult and time consuming to create
new species with the required combination of individual characteristics. So the reproduction of
the potato genome was much more challenging than in humans.
For this reason, researchers led by Schneiberger analyzed the genomes of individual pollen cells.
Unlike leaf cells, these contain only two copies of each chromosome, which facilitates
reproduction.
With the knowledge of the complete DNA sequence of potatoes, it is now easy to identify the
gene variants responsible for the required or undesirable traits.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01015-0https://swordstoday.ie/researchers-decode-
the-complex-genome-of-potatoes/
Indian Agritech Sector To Reach US$ 30-35 Billion By 2025
ByPBNS
NATIONAL NEWSPBNS
March 3, 2022

27. The Indian agriculture sector is currently valued at US$ 370 billion and is likely to undergo a
complete transformation in the coming years on the back of supportive government policies,
significant technological advancements and behavioural changes across consumers and farmers.
The exponential transformation the sector is expected to witness in the future has its marks for
everyone to see.
The Mighty Indian Agriculture
The agricultural sector contributes ~20% to the national GDP. Agricultural product exports
amounted to Rs. 2,84,000 crore (US$ 38.54 billion) in FY19-20. India is the largest producer,
consumer and exporter of spices in the world. According to the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), a cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity
inflow of about Rs. 67,000 crore (US$ 9.08 billion) was achieved between April 2000 and March
2019 in the agriculture sector alone.
Agritech in India
The tech awareness among farmers is on the rise, driven by high internet penetration and mobile
connectivity. This is one of the engines driving the sector ahead. The government is also playing
an active role in sector development by creating incubators, awarding grants and focusing on
public-private partnerships. Starting with 43 Agri-tech startups in 2013, India can now boast of
more than 1,000 such startups, and many of them are on the path to becoming unicorns.
According to a research report titled “Indian Agriculture: Ripe for Disruption”, the favourable
impact of these initiatives is expected to peg the market valuation at US$ 30-35 billion by 2025.
India’s agritech start-ups have been growing at 25% YoY. The start-ups have raised more than
Rs. 1,840 crore (US$ 250 million) in venture funding in 2019. This was three times the amount
of funding raised in 2018. The sector is forecast to attract more than Rs. 3,680 crore (US$ 500
million) in the next few years.

28. The tech market for supplying farm inputs is alone expected to be as big as $1billion. Precision
agriculture and farm management are expected to have a turnover of $3.4 billion. Similarly,
quality management and traceability are expected to contribute a total of $3 billion. All these
forecasts are true for 2025.
Other than the digital surge across the agricultural and agritech value chain, as the government’s
BHARATNET project to enhance rural Internet penetration has played a key role in it, the
Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) investments are also accelerating in this space.
India is the world’s third-largest recipient of agritech funding after the US and Germany and has
the third-largest number of agritech start-ups after the US and the UK. In 2020, India received
investments worth US$ 329 million from PE/VC firms and registered a staggering compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~53% from 2017 (US$ 91 million) to 2020 (US$ 329 million).
Besides the digital factor, the Nano-technology is also transforming Indian agriculture further
and can make the Indian farmers as productive as those in some other parts of the world. Nano-
technologies can also be used for the improvement of soil properties and the removal of toxins.
The positive stories for the Indian agriculture sector are pouring in uninterruptedly. Researchers
from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have developed a biodegradable
nanoparticle that can be used as an alternative to chemical-based pesticides and help farmers
protect their crops from bacterial and fungal infection. What makes it better than the traditional
chemical-based pesticides is that the nanoparticle can remain active at low concentration and can
be as effective as pesticides without having any negative impact on soil and health of consumers.
The invention of these novel nanoparticles would lessen the worries of crop infection and give a
boost to crop yield.
It is called nanoparticle-based Biodegradable Carbonoid Metabolite (BioDCM), and according to
IIT Kanpur, it acts fast as it is applied in bioactive form and can withstand even high
temperatures. The team, led by Santosh K Misra, and Piyush Kumar from the department of
biological sciences and bioengineering at IIT-Kanpur has developed this BioDCM. This team
collaborated with researchers C Kannan and Divya Mishra from ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice
Research, and R Balamurugan and Mou Mandal from the School of Chemistry, University of
Hyderabad.
Government Schemes and Initiatives
The government has been a catalyst in the growth of the agritech sector. It has established the
National Centre for Management and Agricultural Extension in Hyderabad (MANAGE).
The Department of Science and Technology, GOI, has organised a food and agri-business
accelerator in association with a-IDEA, TBI of NAARM.
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was also introduced and implemented
recently, with a major focus on conserving water and increasing irrigation coverage in the
country. Under this scheme, Rs. 56,340 crore (US$ 7.64 billion) has been allocated for
investments in end-to-end solutions on source creation, distribution, management, field
application and extension activities.
The government is also planning to grant Rs. 2,000 crore (US$ 270 million) for computerisation
of the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS), with the primary aim of benefitting
cooperatives through digital technology.
The Indian government has lent a strong impetus to this sector and aims to double the income of
farmers by 2022-23. Another initiative is the Agricultural Technology Management Agency
(ATMA), which facilitates retrieval of data and data entry from web-based portals via a regular
mobile phone (without using the Internet). They are operationalizing more than a dozen services

29. of innovative technologies, such as USSD, for farmers and other stakeholders in the supply
chain. In addition, there have been many favourable government policies and initiatives such as
PM-KISAN, PM-AASHA and PM-KMY among others that are uplifting farmers and benefiting
stakeholders across the value chain. It seems that agritech is now uniquely poised for disruption
via technology.
https://newsonair.com/2022/03/03/indian-agritech-sector-to-reach-us-30-35-billion-by-2025/
Rice Soars as Ukraine War Starts Scramble for Any and All
Grains
Rice is the latest commodity to get swept up in the turmoil of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prices for rice are surging because traders are betting it will be an alternative for wheat, which is
becoming prohibitively expensive. Exports of wheat from Russia and Ukraine account for more
than a quarter of the crop’s trade worldwide and a fifth of corn sales. Shipping in the Black Sea
region is already engulfed in chaos. “Everyone’s trying to buy every type of starch they can,”
said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX. “With wheat supplies tightening
up dramatically on the world market, you’re going to see demand shifting to rice to fill that need
to feed people.” Everything from wheat to oil to fertilizer is soaring as the war ramps up fears of
supply-chain shakeups. That’s further exacerbating inflation worries at a time when hunger
emergencies are on the rise. Rice jumped as much as 4.2% to $16.89 per 100 pounds, the highest
since May 2020. The staple grain is also heading for an 11% weekly gain, the most since 2018.
In a bright spot, global supplies of rice are plentiful, with bigger exports coming from India, the
biggest exporter, and world stockpiles forecast to increase by 0.4 million tons. In the U.S., spring

30. planting is underway in southern Louisiana and along the Texas coast, half of which will be
exported to the world market.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-
Farmers are Earning Good Income from Improved Rice
Varieties Developed by IARI
Both the varieties, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, Delhi,
fetch farmers like Singh financial benefits in the range of Rs.25,000 to Rs.30,000 per acre, after
taking into account cost of cultivation as well as lease rental for the land.
Ayushi Raina Updated 2 March, 2022 11:19 AM IST Published on 2 March, 2022 10:53 AM
IST
Basmati rice varieties- PB 1121 and PB 1509 at the local mandi sold for Rs.3800 and Rs.3500
per quintal
Pritam Singh, who farms on 110 acres, including some leased land, in Haryana's Panipat district,
has just sold his harvest of Basmati rice varieties- PB 1121 and PB 1509 at the local mandi for
Rs.3800 and Rs.3500 per quintal, respectively.

31. Both the varieties, established by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, Delhi,
provide farmers like Singh with financial benefits ranging from Rs.25000 to Rs.30000 per acre,
after deducting cultivation costs and leasing rental for the land.
"Since the introduction of high-yielding varieties such as PB1121 and PB1509 the production as
well as quality in terms of size of the Basmati rice grain increased thus bringing economic
benefits to us," Singh stated.
Prior to the introduction of these two varieties, Singh stated that conventional varieties had yields
ranging from 12 to 13 quintal per acre, whereas the PB1121 and PB1509 varieties have average
yields of 24 and 26 quintal per acre, respectively.
While the high-yielding and larger-grained PB1121 variety was certified as Basmati rice in 2008,
the PB1509 variety, which matures in fewer weeks, was released in 2013.
Between 2010 and 2019, two Basmati rice varieties developed by IARI contributed 70% of the
entire value of cumulative exports of long-grain aromatic rice from India worth Rs.2.38 lakh
crore, benefiting farmers. During the specified period, India exported an average of 3.74 million
tonne (mt) of Basmati rice annually, out of a total production of around 5mt. According to an
IARI analysis of the economic value of Basmati rice, the shipment of PB1121 and PB1509 rice
varieties generated Rs.1.66 lakh crore in export earnings between 2010 and 2019, while domestic
sales were Rs.51501 crore during the same period.
After deducting production costs, the IARI assessment demonstrates that Rs.1.34 lakh crore has
been earned by an estimated 10 lakh farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, sections of Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir who cultivate two varieties of
aromatic and long grained rice.
"Improved Basmati varieties have brought wealth to millions of Basmati farmers by raising their
standard of living, providing better education for children, and providing the finest health care
for family members," IARI director Ashok Kumar Singh stated.
Basmati rice was grown in an average of 18.34 lakh hectares every year from 2010 to 2019, with
PB11121 and PB1509 accounting for 67 % and 10% of the area, respectively. The rest of the
varieties grown by farmers include PB1, PB6 and PB1718, which are also developed by IARI.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and the UAE, as well as other European countries, are major
export destinations for Indian Basmati rice.
In 2020-21, India exported Basmati rice worth Rs.29849 crore ($4018 million).
Recently, IARI has released improved varieties PB1847, PB1885 and PB1886; these are
improved varieties with inbuilt resistance to bacterial blight and blast diseases. “These varieties
would reduce the use of pesticides significantly in basmati cultivation,” Ranjith Kumar Ellur,
scientist, rice section, division of genetics, IARI, said.
https://krishijagran.com/agriculture-world/farmers-are-earning-good-income-from-improved-
rice-varieties-developed-by-iari/

32. The Crown of the Persian Kitchen: Jeweled Rice
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff
March 2, 2022

33. Photo by Alexandra Gomperts
Some of the most precious memories that our good friend Mona has from her childhood are the
summers she spent with her grandmother Mamamohtaram in Tehran.
Her grandmother lived on the ground floor of a three-story building with high walls and a large
garden.Her elder son and his family lived on the middle floor and the younger son and his family
lived on the top floor. Her kitchen was the center of all the action. Her daughters in law would
come downstairs to help her prepare breakfast for the family. As soon as breakfast was cleared
from the table, her grandmother would start cooking huge lunches. There was a little courtyard
off the kitchen where she and the housekeeper would pluck chickens, wash and soak the rice,
trim the herbs and chop the vegetables.
Her grandmother was happiest when she was feeding everyone. She would spend mealtimes
making sure that everyone had a full plate rather than eating food herself.
Mamamohtaram was determined that Mona and her siblings enjoy the crown of Persian
cuisine—Shiran Polo (sweet rice). Traditionally served on Rosh Hashana and other festive
occasions, Mona’s grandmother made it for a regular Friday night dinner during their summer
vacation. Mona remembers the love and patience that she put into preparing all the toppings that
go into and on top of the rice. She would candy thin strips of orange peel, roast pistachios and

34. julienne the carrots by hand. She would sauté barberries and raisins with sweet spices. Then she
would layer all these ingredients on top of fragrant saffron steamed rice.
After the Iranian Revolution, Mona’s grandmother and her extended family moved to Los
Angeles. Whenever Mona would travel from New York for Rosh Hashana and other special
occasions, Mamamohtaram would make jeweled rice. She was in a different country and a
different kitchen but it was the same incredibly delicious rice.
Persian cuisine is rich with intricately spiced and flavored khoresht stews like Ghormeh Sabzi
made from five different herbs and red kidney beans, Fesenjan made with chicken and walnuts in
a sweet and sour pomegranate sauce and Gheima made with meat, yellow lentils, dried lemon
and spices. There are roasted meats, fish, duck and chicken and all the grilled koobidehs (kebab
style meats and chicken). And they all go on top of rice. Basmati rice.
The Persian rice cooking process is precise and includes many steps. First, the rice is rinsed four
to five times, then it is left to soak for at least an hour. The drained rice is added to a pot of
boiling water. After it is cooked till al dente, the rice is washed and drained, then returned to a
pot with oil on the bottom. The top of the pot is covered with a towel or a double layer of paper
towel and the lid. The heat is turned to low and the rice is left to steam.
SHIRAN POLO IS A TRULY SPECTACULAR DISH. THE RICE IS STEAMED SO THAT EACH
GRAIN IS SEPARATE AND THEN THE TOP LAYER IS STAINED YELLOW WITH SAFFRON
WATER.
Shiran Polo, also known as Jeweled Rice, is a truly spectacular dish. The rice is steamed so that
each grain is separate and then the top layer is stained yellow with saffron water. Then the rice is
layered with the delicately spiced toppings—carrots, sliced almonds, pistachios, orange peel,
currants, raisins and barberries.
In the past, Zereshk, the tart barberries that give this dish it’s uniquely sour notes, were
expensive and hard to find, so it is no wonder that Shiran Polo was reserved for Rosh Hashana,
weddings and other festive occasions.
We were experimenting in the kitchen and we came up with our own recipe. We caramelized
onions, sautéed some Zereshk and raisins, toasted some almonds and pistachios, popped open a
bag of candied orange peel and shredded carrots. We washed and soaked the rice but we skipped
the step of parboiling and rinsing again.
We served the dish at one of our girls’ nights and we were all obsessed with the delicious
flavors.
We thought we’d share our much simpler Sephardic Spice Girls version of this rice in honor of
the month of Adar and the very Persian holiday of Purim.
Jeweled Rice
Saffron strands
1/2 cup hot water
3 cups Basmati rice
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups shredded carrots
Avocado or vegetable oil for frying
1 onion, finely diced
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup raw pistachios
1/3 cup barberries

35. 1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup candied orange peel
 Place a pinch of saffron strands in a bowl and cover with hot water., then set aside to steep.
 Place rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Rinse four to five times until the water is
fairly clear.
 Cover the rice with cold water and soak for at least one hour.
 Drain water from rice and place in a large pot.
 Pour enough water over the rice, so that the water is at least 1 inch above the rice.
 Add kosher salt and olive oil and bring the rice to a boil, stirring occasionally.
 When all the water has been absorbed, reduce the heat to low.
 Fluff the rice, then add the shredded carrots onto the rice.
 Pour the saffron water over the carrots, cover with a dish towel or paper towel and a tight
fitting lid. Let steam for 25-30 minutes.
 In a frying pan, warm oil over medium heat, then add onions and sauté until caramelized.
Then set aside.
 In the same frying pan, toast the almonds and pistachios over low heat. Then set aside.
 Warm a little oil to the frying pan and set over medium heat. Add raisins and barberries and
sauté lightly. Set aside.
 Add orange peels to the frypan and sauté lightly. Set aside.
 Place hot rice on a large serving platter and arrange onions, almonds, pistachios, barberries,
raisins and orange peel in a pretty pattern.
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The
Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic
Educational Center in Jerusalem. Upcoming events include interviewing Chef Shimi Aaron at
the WIZO Purim Luncheon and a Sharsheret Passover Cooking Webinar. Follow them on
Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.
Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes
Share
https://jewishjournal.com/culture/food/345551/the-crown-of-the-persian-kitchen-jeweled-
rice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-crown-of-the-persian-kitchen-
jeweled-rice
Asia rice: Vietnamese rates gain as China routes reopen post
Covid curbs

36. BENGALURU/BANGKOK/HANOI/MUMBAI/DHAKA: Prices of rice exported from
Vietnam rose this week, as trade routes to China reopened with some traders betting on
additional demand from buyers looking for alternate sources due to the Ukraine
crisis. Vietnam’s 5% broken rice were offered at $400 per tonne on Thursday, versus $395-$400
a week ago. “Shipments to China are expected to increase as China is reopening borders with
Vietnam after coronavirus curbs,” a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said. “The ongoing Ukrainian
war might prompt buyers to import more rice from Asia, including Vietnam,” the trader added. A
Bangkok-based trader said the situation in Ukraine “might have increased freight rates slightly.”
Prices of Thailand’s 5% broken rice widened slightly to $403-$400 per tonne from $400 last
week, also taking cues from currency fluctuations with the baht valued at 32.60 against the US
dollar on Thursday. But another trader said the crisis has not impacted Thai rice exports because
neither Russia nor Ukraine were among its main trading partners. Ukraine’s military recently
suspended commercial shipping at its ports, threatening grain and oilseed exports. Demand for
rice from top exporter India improved, but prices of its 5% broken parboiled variety were
unchanged at $370-$376 per tonne as the rupee weakened, translating into higher margins for
traders from overseas sales. “Demand for broken rice has improved as prices of corn are rising.
Some buyers are looking for alternatives to corn,” said an exporter based at Kakinada, Andhra
Pradesh. Indian farmers may harvest a record 127.93 million tonnes versus 124.37 million tonnes
the year before. Meanwhile, domestic rice prices stayed high in Bangladesh, despite good

37. reserves, officials said.Freight rates have increased slightly due to the Ukraine crisis, prompting
higher import costs for grains, a trader said.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40158506/asia-rice-vietnamese-rates-gain-as-china-routes-
reopen-post-covid-curbs
Farmers seek more favorable trigger for crop
payments
KSMU | By Jared Strong | Missouri Independent
Published March 2, 2022 at 12:06 PM CST
A farmer harvests corn near Slater, Iowa. on Oct. 17, 2020. (Photo by Perry Beeman/Iowa
Capital Dispatch)
The crop-price thresholds that trigger government payments to some U.S. farmers should be
increased in the next farm bill to account for soaring fertilizer and fuel costs, according to farm
groups that testified Tuesday to members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
The committee met to review commodity support programs of the Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018, which is set to partially expire next year. The series of congressional discussions that
lead to finalized farm bills can go on for well over a year.
Representatives of groups that advocate for farmers of about a dozen crops — including corn,
soybeans, wheat, rice, peanuts and others — were universally concerned about increases in so-
called “input” costs — the amount they pay to plant, grow and harvest the crops.

38. Double- and triple-digit percentage increases in those costs in the past year mean that farmers
must be able to sell their crops at higher prices to recoup the extra expenses.
The farm bill’s Price Loss Coverage program makes payments to enrolled farmers when average
crop prices are lower than certain thresholds, which are different for each crop. The payments are
meant to help mitigate potentially crippling revenue losses.
The farm groups say the thresholds — or “reference prices” — have not kept pace with growing
costs.
Here’s an example: The current reference price for soybeans is $8.40 per bushel, but the current
estimated cost to produce each bushel is about $11, said Brad Doyle, president of the American
Soybean Association.
“Our profitability is at risk now,” Doyle told committee members.
However, soybean prices are very high right now at more than $16 per bushel — the highest
they’ve been in nearly a decade.
Doyle and members of the other farm groups declined to reveal what reference prices they desire
but pledged to do so later this year.
Rice farmers at risk
U.S. rice production is at particular risk because those farmers often operate on smaller profit
margins, said Jennifer James, a rice farmer in Arkansas. It has been difficult for James and other
U.S. farmers to compete with farmers in China — the world’s largest rice producer — in part
because that country has improperly subsidized its crops, the World Trade Organization has
found.
The estimated $500 million increase in input costs this year for domestic rice farmers could lead
some of those farmers to switch to other crops, James warned. The United States produces less
than 2% of the world’s rice but accounts for 6% of global exports, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
“Rice farmers simply can’t compete without U.S. farm policy to help level the playing field,”
James said.
Jaclyn Ford of Alapaha, Georgia, representing the National Cotton Council, said the Price Loss
Coverage program should take farmers’ profit margins into account when determining the
payouts.
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, urged his fellow lawmakers to turn to biofuels produced
from corn and soybeans to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign energy that has become more
expensive.
“We’ve all seen how Russia chose to needlessly attack Ukraine, and the consequences of this
will be significant to our agricultural community and even the farm bill,” he said. “Today, the
U.S. imports 206,000 barrels of crude oil from Russia every single day. This must stop. We must
become energy independent, and biofuels are ready to fill that gap.”
The farm groups also said Tuesday the USDA’s Farm Service Agency needs more staff and
better outreach to help farmers navigate the Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage
programs. The former makes payments to farmers if prices drop below the reference prices; the
latter makes payments based on total revenue losses. Each year, farmers can chose between the
two programs.
The coronavirus pandemic also affected farmers’ participation in the programs because they
were forced to submit information electronically rather than in face-to-face interactions with
agency staff, said Chris Edgington, president of the National Corn Growers Association and an
Iowa farmer near Saint Ansgar.

39. “Them not being able to go into the office has been a real hindrance,” he said.
This story was originally published by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
https://www.ksmu.org/news/2022-03-02/farmers-seek-more-favorable-trigger-for-crop-payments
Stuttgart churches to hold World Day of Prayer service this
Friday
ByKelly Connelly
March 2, 2022
A Stuttgart church will host a World Day of Prayer celebration on Friday, March 4, at noon. St.
Alban’s Episcopal Church member Marianne Maynard said the event will be held at Grand
Avenue Methodist Church and led by women from her church.
“We are not hosting it at our church because we are in the end stages of some renovations, and
our church is not back together,” Maynard said. “Grand Avenue Methodist Church graciously
offered to let us use their facility.”
World Day of Prayer is an international movement of Christian women of many denominations
who come together for prayer and service. It is celebrated on the first Friday in March each year.
In Stuttgart, churches rotate hosting the event.
“It is about a 30-minute program. We serve a luncheon after that,” Maynard said. “It is designed
so that if you have an hour-long lunch, you can be at the program, get your lunch, and get back
to work on time.”
The prayer service is written by a group of women in a different country every year. This year’s
service was written by the women of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
“They write the program, pick the music, and make food suggestions for women across the
world to be able to use,” Maynard said. “It is always interesting to see their perspective and the
portion they select from the Bible.”
This year’s theme will focus on the letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in
Babylonia. Participants will read a passage of scripture from Jeremiah 29.
All community members are invited to attend the World Day of Prayer event.
“It is open to anyone who wants to come. There are no restrictions. Just because it is written by
the women does not mean we will not let the men come, too,” Maynard said.
For more information, contact Maynard by calling 870-830-1580.
https://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/stuttgart-churches-to-hold-world-day-of-prayer-service-
this-friday/
Local distillers may reap benefits of Russian vodka boycotts
Baton Rouge / louisianaradionetwork.com
David Grubb
Mar 2, 2022 | 12:28 PM

40. As the backlash against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine continues, there have been
calls for boycotts of Russian products, including vodka. Michael Fruge, founder, and owner of
Acadiana Parish-based JT Meleck Distillers says consumers are typically loyal to the brands they
like but a worldwide push could quickly gain momentum.
“In general, people are pretty dedicated to the brands they like,” said Fruge. “But this could
change things, definitely.”
At least three states have already implemented bans on Russian-made vodka, and more might be
on the way. Fruge sees an opportunity to reach new consumers and his distillery is looking to
take advantage of a market that may be ready to move away from its traditional tastes and
towards his rice-based vodka.

41. “What we’re hoping for is that the consumer starts looking for another choice,” he said. “And
hopefully we’ll be one of them.”
JT Meleck is one of the few producers of rice vodka not based in Asia. With bars, restaurants,
and retailers removing Russian-made vodkas from the shelves, the ground is fertile for
American-based companies to claim a bigger stake in sales of the best-selling spirit in the U-S.
Fruge is excited about the future of his uniquely-Louisiana company.
“I’m a rice farmer, so we set out to see what kind of spirit we could make with that grain,” said
Fruge. “We found out that rice makes an excellent vodka. We’ve got some exciting things
happening over here at the distillery.”
https://louisianaradionetwork.com/2022/03/02/local-distillers-may-reap-benefits-of-russian-
vodka-boycotts/
ASIA RICE Vietnamese rates gain as China routes reopen post
COVID curbs
By Seher Dareen
Summary
 Ukraine crisis may prompt demand from other regions-trader
 War may have increased freight rates slightly- Thai trader
 Indian farmers to harvest 127.93 mln tonnes of rice in 2022
March 3 (Reuters) - Prices of rice exported from Vietnam rose this week, as trade routes to China
reopened with some traders betting on additional demand from buyers looking for alternate
sources due to the Ukraine crisis.
Vietnam's 5% broken rice were offered at $400 per tonne on Thursday, versus $395-$400 a week
ago.
"Shipments to China are expected to increase as China is reopening borders with Vietnam after
coronavirus curbs," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.
"The ongoing Ukrainian war might prompt buyers to import more rice from Asia, including
Vietnam," the trader added.
A Bangkok-based trader said the situation in Ukraine "might have increased freight rates
slightly."
Prices of Thailand's 5% broken rice widened slightly to $403-$400 per tonne from $400 last
week, also taking cues from currency fluctuations with the baht valued at 32.60 against the U.S.
dollar on Thursday.
But another trader said the crisis has not impacted Thai rice exports because neither Russia nor
Ukraine were among its main trading partners.
Ukraine's military recently suspended commercial shipping at its ports, threatening grain and
oilseed exports. read more
Demand for rice from top exporter India improved, but prices of its 5% broken parboiled variety
were unchanged at $370-$376 per tonne as the rupee weakened, translating into higher margins
for traders from overseas sales.
"Demand for broken rice has improved as prices of corn are rising. Some buyers are looking for
alternatives to corn," said an exporter based at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

42. Indian farmers may harvest a record 127.93 million tonnes versus 124.37 million tonnes the year
before.
Meanwhile, domestic rice prices stayed high in Bangladesh, despite good reserves, officials said.
Freight rates have increased slightly due to the Ukraine crisis, prompting higher import costs for
grains, a trader said.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/asia-rice-vietnamese-rates-gain-china-routes-reopen-post-
covid-curbs-2022-03-03/
Fertiliser ban decimates Sri Lankan crops as government
popularity ebbs
By Syndicated ContentMar 3, 2022 | 4:01 AM
By Uditha Jayasinghe and Devjyot Ghoshal
AGBOPURA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – W.M. Seneviratne sat watching a mechanised harvester
slice through the jade green fields around him in eastern Sri Lanka’s Agbopura village one recent
morning, aware that this year’s harvest would be only a fraction of what he was used to.

43. “I cannot recall any time in the past when we had to struggle so much to get a decent harvest,”
said Seneviratne, a lean 65-year-old with a shock of silver hair, who has been farming since he
was a child.
“Last year, we got 60 bags from these two acres. But this time it was just 10,” he added.
The dramatic fall in yields follows a decision last April by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to ban
all chemical fertilisers in Sri Lanka – a move that risks undermining support among rural voters
who are key to his family’s grip on Sri Lankan politics.
Although the ban was rolled back after widespread protests, only a trickle of chemical fertilisers
made it to farms, which will likely lead to an annual drop of at least 30% in paddy yields
nationwide, according to agricultural experts.
The shortfall comes at a bad time for the island nation of 22 million people. Sri Lanka is in the
throes of its worst economic crisis in a decade, foreign exchange reserves are at a record low and
inflation is soaring, especially for food.
Fuel shortages have led to rolling power cuts across the country.
The impact of the poor paddy crop could push up the retail price of rice by around 30%, said
Buddhi Marambe, an agriculture professor at the University of Peradeniya, who blamed the
decision to ban chemical fertilisers.
“That’s where the problem is,” he told Reuters. “Yields will likely be lower next harvest season
as well. So, costs will keep increasing even 4-5 months from now.”
To ease the hit on consumers, Rajapaksa’s administration is importing rice using credit lines
from friendly neighbours.
And to help farmers, it has raised the minimum government purchase price and announced a 40
billion Sri Lankan Rupee ($200 million) compensation package.
Sri Lanka’s agriculture and finance ministries did not respond to questions from Reuters.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told reporters on Tuesday that the harvest
would be lower this year.
“We will start paying compensation to 1.1 million farmers from next week … none of the
farmers will suffer financially,” he said. “We will never let that happen.”
‘VISTAS OF PROSPERITY’
In a campaign manifesto for the presidential election in 2019 titled “Vistas of Prosperity and
Splendour”, which became a policy framework after a landslide victory, Rajapaksa proposed
providing Sri Lankans with food without harmful chemicals.
He pushed the reform through in a single season rather than over several years, adding to
confusion across Sri Lanka’s farms including around Agbopura, a quaint hamlet some 220 km
northeast of the country’s main city of Colombo.
“Farmers around here really tried everything possible to grow their paddy. They applied coconut
fertiliser, liquid fertiliser, compost… basically, anything they could get their hands on,” said
Chanuka Leshaan Karunaratne, a major paddy trader in Agbopura.
Yields among the area’s 500 farmers appear to have dropped by half, Karunaratne said, sitting at
his warehouse on the main road that runs through Agbopura.
Indika Paranavithana, head of the local farmers’ association, estimated a similar fall in output
and said many distressed households had used up their reserve stocks.
“This paddy reserve is their savings,” he said. “For the rest of the year, if someone gets sick or
there is a funeral, they sell a sack of paddy to cover costs.”

44. On Monday, the government approved a minimum of 50,000 rupees per hectare as
compensation, part of the 40 billion rupee package announced in January. That could make it
harder to achieve its 8.8% budget deficit target for 2022, and further stoke inflation.
Some farmers say the amounts are not enough, and the government has become deeply
unpopular, according to a new survey by Colombo think-tank Verité Research.
In its first “Mood of the Nation” poll, which surveyed over 1,000 Sri Lankans in January, Verité
found that 10% approved the government’s work and more than 80% had lost confidence in the
country’s economy.
Sri Lanka’s 1.5 million paddy farmers are a core vote base for the nationalist Rajapaksa family,
who have supported them with fertiliser subsidies and higher crop prices.
The farm sector contributes 7% to the country’s GDP but employs about 27% of the workforce,
mostly in rural areas.
Sri Lanka’s reserves fell to $2.36 billion in January, leaving the government short of dollars for
chemical fertiliser imports for the cultivation season starting in April.
The military is getting involved. Thousands of troops have been tasked with producing 2.5
million tonnes of organic fertilisers by April, according to an official who declined to be named.
GOLD NECKLACES
Weeks before the harvesters arrived at Agbopura, Seneviratne noticed the plants were short and
reedy.
“These crops need urea. Compost is just not good enough and we didn’t even get any of the
organic fertiliser that was distributed by the government,” he said.
Despite 150,000 rupees in debt, a decent harvest would allow him to get back two of his wife’s
gold chains that were pawned last year to meet household costs.
The night before his crop was harvested, Seneviratne camped in the fields to scare away a group
of elephants that arrive each winter.
But paddy from his two areas only filled 10 bags. His earnings dropped to around 15,000 rupees
from 85,000 rupees a year earlier.
“After I paid off the harvester, there was only 200 rupees left,” he said.
Like many other farmers in Agbopura, Seneviratne said he did not know when and how
government compensation would reach him.
“If I had known the yield would be this low, I would have left the crop to be eaten by wild
animals,” he said. “I don’t know how we will get the pawned gold back.”
($1 = 199.2000 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
https://wtvbam.com/2022/03/03/fertiliser-ban-decimates-sri-lankan-crops-as-government-
popularity-ebbs/
Two Basmati Rice Varieties Help Boost Exports And
Farmers’ Income
bySwarajya Staff-Mar 3, 2022 03:37 PM

45. Representative image
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s (IRAI) two Basmati rice varieties have contributed
to 70 per cent of the total value of cumulative exports of long-grain aromatic rice from India
from 2010-19.
The two varieties, namely: PB 1121 and PB 1509 were released by IARI in 2013.
About Rs 1.66 lakh crore of export earnings from the aforementioned time period were from the
shipment of these two rice varieties.
The IARI's assessment says that Rs 1.34 lakh crore has been accrued as earnings by an
approximate 10 lakh farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and parts of
Uttar Pradesh.
“Improved Basmati varieties have brought prosperity to millions of Basmati farmers by
improving their standards of living, better education for children and best health care for family
members,” IARI director Ashok Kumar Singh was quoted by the Financial Express.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE and Yemen are the major destinations of Indian Basmati rice
exports. In 2020-21, the country exported Basmati rice worth Rs 29849 crore.
The PB 1121 and PB 1509 varieties apparently cut down the use of pesticides significantly in the
cultivation of Basmati rice.
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/two-basmati-rice-varieties-help-boost-exports-and-farmers-
income
New tax may raise agricultural production cost by 25pc’
By Our Correspondent
March 03, 2022

46. LAHORE: The Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association has warned that the recently-imposed
General Sales Tax is likely to increase the seed prices in the country by 25 per cent, forcing the
farmers to use traditional uncertified low-yield seed of various food and cash crops.
"The imposition of tax has badly affected the country's nascent hybrid seed industry, but it will
ultimately trouble the farming community which is already facing shortage of fertilizer," PHHSA
Chairman Shahzad Malik said while talking to members of the Agriculture Journalists
Association here on Wednesday. He said the development of hybrid rice varieties and their
successful cultivation in Sindh and Punjab has led to double the paddy crop over the last 11 years
i.e. from 4.03 million tonnes in 2010 to 8.41 million tonnes in 2021. "The taxes imposed under
mini-budget may hamper the process of hybridization in paddy and other important cash and
food crops," he warned and said that the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and the
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) have already rejected the imposition of the
GST on seeds as such levies could only lead to reduction in the production of raw materials for
these two sectors. The PHHSA chairman said there is the need for hybridization of wheat and
cotton seed too as China and India have tripled their cotton production by producing hybrid BT
cotton varieties.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan's leading plant breeding expert Dr Shafiqur Rehman said the
cultivation of certified wheat seed can lead to a 15 per cent increase in the cereal production. But
the imposition of GST is likely to jack the per acre wheat seed expenditure by Rs 700. He said
the promotion of maize hybrid seed has increased the corn crop production from 6 million tonnes
to 8 million tonnes.
REAP Chairman Ali Hussam Asghar said his association is against the imposition of GST in the
seed sector. He said it is the certified paddy seed that helped increase the rice exports from $300
million to $2 billion in a period of 15 years. Agriculture Journalists Association President
Muhammad Luqman, LEJA President Sudhir Chaudhry and AJA General Secretary Amjad
Mahmood also spoke.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/938182-new-tax-may-raise-agricultural-production-cost-by-
25pc
More Than Just Grains of Rice: Shedding Light on
Community and Precarity in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken
In farming communities in Batken, rice is not just a pantry staple or cultural symbol; its planting
and harvesting determines the rhythm of life.
By Colleen Wood
March 03, 2022
Plov being served in a market in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.