2nd june 2020 daily global regional and local rice e newsletter

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Global Regional and Local Rice News

Rice Shortage in Iraq as Ministry Confirms 190,000
Tonnes Stock Left
June 2, 2020
Gurneel Kaur
Iraq suffers the economic fallout of coronavirus. Rice Shortage in Iraq as Ministry Confirms
190,000 Tonnes Stock Left for food rationing program.
Rice Shortage in Iraq
The trade ministry called for funds from the state‘s budget in March to build three months‘
supply of strategic wheat and rice stockpiles. It renewed its call for funds as Iraqis suffer to meet
their daily food needs owing to the economic conditions amid the pandemic.
The country needs around 1-1.25 million tonnes of rice a year to support the program. The
resignation of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in November by nationwide anti-
corruption protests has hindered the renewal of the budget before the next calendar year.
Why the Shortage?
Iraq is an arid region and facing climate change. The rise and fall in precipitation levels are
characteristics of dry regions. Consequently, the government of Iraq restricted the cultivation of
rice in the country.
Rice is the third most popular crop after wheat and barley in Iraq. However, its production in the
country is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. Hence Iraq‘s grain board (under the Trade
Ministry) holds regular international tenders to import wheat, rice, sugar, cooking oil, and flour.
To meet its domestic consumption Iraq majorly depends on grain imports.
In all, people are struggling in Iraq for food amid the pandemic.
https://www.grainmart.in/news/rice-shortage-in-iraq-as-ministry-confirms-190000-tonnes-stock-
left/
Wandile Sihlobo | SA's agricultural trade expected to remain vibrant in 2020 despite
lockdowns
17:26 01/06/2020 Wandile Sihlobo
The ongoing Covid-19 crisis has brought uncertainty to global trade because of disruptions in
supply chains and weakening demand.
South Africa's agricultural sector, which is export-oriented, is one of the sectors I feared would
be disrupted by the pandemic. So far, however, there have been minimal disruptions as the global
agricultural and food sector has generally stayed operational.
The coming months could be even better as many countries are gradually easing restrictions on
economic activity and the movement of people in the wake of lockdowns. In the first quarter of
the year, a period before coronavirus lockdowns were implemented across the globe, South
Africa's agricultural trade was vibrant. The country recorded an agricultural trade surplus of
US$773 million, according to data from Trade Map. This is up by 16% year-on-year, with
exports having increased at a higher rate than imports.

The exports were underpinned by grapes, maize, wine, wool, pears, apples, plums, lemons and
macadamia nuts, amongst other agricultural products. These products could continue to underpin
South Africa's agricultural exports in the second quarter of 2020, which largely corresponds with
global lockdowns, but with some decline in wine exports which had briefly been impacted by
domestic lockdown regulations.
While the second quarter data will only be out next month, the high frequency data from various
commodity organisations and agricultural institutions point to continued robust agricultural
exports over the past couple of weeks.
Citrus will feature prominently in the second quarter data onward, as its exports for this year
are expected to reach a record 143.3 million cartons for the Southern Africa region, mainly from
South Africa. The export activity of this particular product has also continued with minimal
interruptions during the lockdown period.
Similar to citrus, maize will also dominate South African exports this year with volume set
to increase by 89% y/y to 2.7 million tonnes because of higher domestic harvest. This is also at a
time where we expect an increased maize needs in the Southern Africa region, which is a
primary market for white maize.
The African continent and Europe continued to be the largest markets for South Africa's
agricultural exports, respectively accounting for 44% and 29% in value terms during the first
quarter of 2020. Asia was the third-largest market, taking up 19% of South Africa's agricultural
exports in the first quarter of 2019. The balance of 8% value was spread across other regions of
the world.
In terms of imports, the leading products included wheat, palm oil, rice, poultry meat, sunflower
oil and sugar. For the year, rice, wheat and palm oil will dominate the agricultural import product
list. South Africa's 2020 rice imports could amount to 1.1 million tonnes, up by 10% from 2019.
Meanwhile, South Africa's 2019/20 wheat imports could increase by 29% y/y to 1.8 million
tonnes.
In a nutshell, while the pandemic will result in a loss of incomes in various regions of the world,
and in turn, decline in demand for goods; the agriculture and food sector is one of the few that
might not be as hard hit. As such, for 2020, South Africa's agricultural exports could increase to
levels over US$10 billion from US$9.9 billion in 2019. The key catalysts this year will be the
increase in grains and horticulture output and to some extent the weakening domestic currency.
Wandile Sihlobo is chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz)
and author of FINDING COMMON GROUND: Land, Equity and Agriculture
https://m.fin24.com/Opinion/wandile-sihlobo-sas-agricultural-trade-expected-to-remain-vibrant-
in-2020-despite-lockdowns-20200601
Time to mobilise for food self-sufficiency
Published June 2, 2020

THE President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was brutally frank when recently he
admitted that the country could no longer afford its addiction to imported food. Though
seemingly casual in his remarks that ―…we don‘t have money to import food‖ anymore, the cold
reality of Nigeria‘s food insecurity is dangerous, exacerbated by falling revenues provoked by
the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing global recession.
Unnervingly, Buhari stopped short of unfurling an action plan to stave off mass hunger and
mobilise the country for food self-sufficiency. Rather, he only voiced ―hope‖ and a ―wish‖ that
farmers would rise to save the day. He said, ―I hope the rainy season will be bountiful, so that we
get a lot of food. I hope farmers will go to farms and save their lives so that we can produce what
we need in sufficient quantities so that we don‘t have to import food. So, we must produce what
we are going to eat.‖ This is not good enough.
Truly, the country is in dire straits on many fronts. Prices of crude oil that determine whether the
economy sinks or floats are only regaining momentum after a severe crash to their lowest in over
two decades. It got to the point that Nigeria‘s Bonny Light dropped to $12 per barrel, yet nobody
was buying. Nigeria could lose more than $9billion because of the fall in oil prices, according to
Goldman Sachs.
Beyond Buhari‘s casual statement, the economy needs a massive jolt to start moving again. From
being self-sufficient in food production up until the 1970s, Nigeria became import-dependent
from the 1980s onwards, spending $3 billion annually importing food. The World Bank‘s IT-
enabled tracker, World Integrated Trade Solution, said the country imported food from 101
countries in 2018, mostly from Brazil with imports worth $562.98 million, followed by China
$184.46 million, and the United States $135.35 million. Now, foreign reserves to pay for
avoidable imports are precarious, dropping to $34.78 billion by May, representing a cumulative
loss of $11 billion since June 11, 2019 when it stood at $45.17 billion. Achieving food security
has, therefore, become a necessity.
Left to be seen is how the Buhari regime will rise up to the new reality. Pre- and post-
independence, regional governments formulated and implemented vigorous agricultural policies
that fed the country and made her the world‘s leading producer of palm oil with 43 per cent
market share and second largest cocoa producer and major groundnuts exporter. The defunct
Western Region had farm settlements and a storied agricultural extension scheme, just as every
region produced staples such as cassava, millet, yams and legumes. The United Nations Food
and Agricultural Organisation said the country produced an average 360,000 tonnes of rice
annually in the 1960s with only 7,000 tonnes imported.
But the story changed with the oil boom of the mid-1970s. A new taste for everything imported
led to the relegation of agriculture and dependence on imported food. Rice imports peaked at 3.2
million MT in 2011. Figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Bureau of
Statistics show that between 2016 and June 2019, the country spent $38.24 billion on agricultural
goods, including plant, machinery and equipment. In 2019, $1.09 billion wheat, $406 million
sugar and $199 million palm oil were imported.
High food import however does not automatically translate into food insecurity, says the World
Food Atlas. The US, China, Japan, Germany and the UK, the world‘s richest, are also the largest

food importers that do so for variety; but countries that must import to prevent starvation are
food insecure. Nigeria barely escapes being among the 34 listed food insecure countries.
Despite having a coastline of 853 kilometres, the 1.12 million metric tonnes of fish it produces
annually fall short of annual demand of 3.32 million MT: imports to make up for the 2.2 million
MT shortfall place it as the world‘s fourth largest importer of fish, declared the 2016 Nigeria
Fisheries Statistics Report.
But Buhari can move from the rhetoric, failed programmes and poorly implemented initiatives of
the past to concrete action by first identifying the problems and constraints. The FAO cites low
yields, poor infrastructure, lack of access to equipment, storage and preservation, limited
technology transfer and lack of or misdirected low-interest credit among others as factors.
Inadequate storage facilities result in 60 per cent post-harvest loss of perishables. Revive the
national agric programmes in line with current realities. All this calls for an integrated approach.
The Federal Government should lead other tiers increasing funds available to finance the farm
sector. As Brazil has done, subsidised loans should be offered to finance production of
agricultural commodities and make investments such as in silos and agricultural machinery. As
farming takes place in the rural areas, the federal, state and local governments should accord
priority to basic infrastructure in the hinterland.
Initiatives begun by the then President Jerry Rawlings to open Ghana‘s rural areas have been
expanded by his successors to lure private sector participation. Governments need to promote
massive, sustained investment in storage, transport, access roads and farm extension services. A
novel scheme begun in India to construct 70-75 kilometres of rural access roads per day in 2011
was stepped up to 139 km per day in 2016. States and LGs should help with food production
programmes with emphasis on effective extension services, start-ups, adoption of modern
technology and strong private sector participation.
With the low level of mechanisation and limited application of technology, food production is
hurting. The NBS said that industrial production accounted for only four per cent of the 5.79
million tonnes of fish and shrimps produced in the country between 2010 and 2015, the bulk was
produced by artisanal farming and aquaculture. The operating environment has to be liberalised
to attract investors, local and foreign. This requires stronger measures to eradicate the insecurity
that has disrupted farming in the North and many parts of the South too and get people back to
the farms. Maximising output and harmonising the output of the 15 research institutes overseen
by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is desirable to provide strong
linkage between researchers and producers.State governments have a responsibility to
aggressively pursue food production programmes to stimulate employment, food self-sufficiency
and for export. Wiping out corruption, cronyism, sectionalism and maladministration in the
government and CBN-provided funds and micro credit to small farmers and women have proved
efficacious in Brazil and Bangladesh and are worth trying.The potential is enormous as every
part of Nigeria is farming-friendly. It remains the world‘s largest cassava producer and only
37.33 per cent of the country‘s land areas is under cultivation, the World Bank said, leaving
much room for initiative and optimal use. Buhari and the state governors should provide the
leadership..
https://punchng.com/time-to-mobilise-for-food-self-sufficiency/

Climate Change Threatens the Ancient Wild Rice Traditions
of the Ojibwe
Yields of native wild rice have shrunk due to temperature rise, shoreline erosion and other
environmental problems
 By Daniel Cusick, E&E News on June 1, 2020One harvester pushes a canoe through the
rice and the other knocks the grains into the canoe with sticks. Bowstring River, near
Inger, Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota. Credit: Phil Schermeister Getty
Images
The Ojibwe people of modern-day Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have for 1,000 years
adhered to a spiritual prophecy to live ―where food grows on the water.‖
That food is native wild rice, or ―manoomin‖ in the Anishinaabe language of the Ojibwe.
But with an increasingly unpredictable climate across the ―Five Freshwater Seas,‖ as the Great
Lakes are known, the Ojibwe‘s ancient wild rice traditions are being undermined.
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So is the prophecy that ordained it.
―We are here to honor our spirit relatives, which includes all creation. Wild rice is considered
sacred,‖ said Eric Chapman Sr., a council member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians and director of the Wisconsin tribe‘s wild rice cultural enhancement
program.
The word ―Chippewa,‖ imprinted on the Ojibwe in 19th-century treaties with the United States,
is not favored by the tribe, whose origins lie with the Algonquin tribes of North America‘s
eastern forests.
The Ojibwe were among several Algonquin tribes to migrate to the Great Lakes after the first of
the ―Seven Fires Prophecies‖ warned that the tribe would be destroyed by an invader from the
sea. That invader is widely interpreted to be Europeans, according to Chapman.
The Great Lakes offered a new life for the early Ojibwe, one built around hunting, fishing and
gathering. The tribe is still recognized for some of its long-standing traditions: fur trapping,
syrup making, and the construction of birch bark canoes and dome-shaped traditional homes
called wigwams.
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Proud culture, new enemy
Yet few of these traditions are as culturally or religiously important as native wild rice
harvesting. Its steep decline in small lakes on reservations has fostered uncertainty and even fear
among many Ojibwe. Elders and spiritual leaders are attuned to the environmental crisis and
praying for wisdom to guide tribal resource managers toward solutions, officials say.
Academic researchers are also seeking answers derived from traditional knowledge, field
research and science.
Evidence of climate change is clear, they say, but countering what experts say could be an
ecological collapse remains difficult, even as changing conditions make wild rice more
vulnerable year after year.

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―What‘s incredibly frustrating is it‘s very hard to tell exactly why a lake becomes impaired,‖ said
Crystal Ng, a University of Minnesota hydrologist and wild rice expert who works closely with
the Ojibwe. ―There are ideas, but we don‘t yet have the answers.‖
Scientists do know that wild rice, which grows in shallow lake water, needs a hard winter freeze
and low temperatures to germinate in the spring. Minnesota is one of the fastest-warming states
in the country, scientists say.
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Climate change concerns are rising in another sphere, too: the planned construction of an oil
pipeline through the heart of Ojibwe territory in northern Minnesota.
Ojibwe leaders, while seeking a life bound to nature and spirituality, are increasingly being thrust
into a conflict they never sought and energy regulatory processes in which they have little trust.
But wild rice is preeminent.
At the tribe‘s 86,500-acre Lac du Flambeau reservation in northern Wisconsin, written and oral
history passed down through generations indicates wild rice was harvested from many of the
shallow lakes and rivers that pepper the reservation about 220 miles north of Madison.
Today, rice grows on just two lakes within the reservation, and only one of them is harvestable,
said officials with the Lac du Flambeau wild rice cultural enhancement program.
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Rice yields have also dropped precipitously. Surveys from the 1920s show that Lac du
Flambeau‘s freshwater lakes produced roughly 200 pounds of rice per family, enough to carry
the tribe through the long winter and spring. Today, a family does well to harvest 80 pounds of
rice, and that number is going down every year.
―Especially over the last couple of years, we‘ve seen big drops,‖ said Chapman, 54, who has
lived his entire life on the Lac du Flambeau reservation. ―By midcentury, it might be wiped out.‖
Ojibwe bands throughout the Great Lakes, recognizing the environmental and cultural crisis, are
reviving traditional ceremonies, attending climate adaptation workshops and consulting nontribal
experts to enhance their knowledge of what‘s happening to native wild rice.
‘Flagship’ of ecosystems
Experts say some of the decline is explained by activities like logging, dam building and river
channelization. Increasingly, though, wild rice is succumbing to more nuanced environmental
changes: air and water temperature variability, extreme rain events, and changes in water
chemistry associated with shoreline erosion.
―When there‘s a problem for wild rice, there are wider implications throughout the ecosystem,‖
Ng said in a seminar last year. ―So for all these reasons, wild rice really serves as a flagship for
both environmental preservation and for indigenous resource sovereignty.‖
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Record-high water levels on the Great Lakes have also been a factor. Some of the most
productive wild rice beds are in Lake Superior sloughs and backwaters. High water can wipe out
a year‘s harvest.

Wild rice is also highly adapted to conditions in smaller lakes, where even subtle variations in
water levels, temperatures and chemical composition can render a lake uninhabitable for the
plants.
Rice plants are also squeezed by competing species like pickerel weed, which absorbs sunlight
and essential nutrients.
―There are lakes that are just filled with it,‖ Ng said of the aquatic weed. ―They actually go in
and cut it. It doesn‘t seem to be helping.‖
Native rice plants are at greatest risk during what‘s called the ―floating leaf stage‖ in
midsummer, when the plants break the lake surface and begin flowering. A shock of
precipitation from an extreme weather event can raise lake levels and pull the rice plants‘ roots
from the lake bottom, causing mass die-offs.
The Ojibwe have witnessed these changes for years, but only recently has the problem become
recognized by nontribal scientists and wildlife agencies. There‘s a reason for that.
Michael Dockry, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and a co-investigator on
the wild rice research effort, said tribes like the Ojibwe ―have been marginalized in discussions
around climate change.‖ He said new research must merge traditional knowledge with scientific
methods.
―The tribes are leading us now,‖ Dockry said, ―not only in the questions we‘re asking, but in the
data we‘re collecting and our analysis of that data.‖
7 generations
At Lac du Flambeau, what Ng called ―indigenous sovereignty‖ has manifested itself in programs
to elevate and restore wild rice‘s importance among tribal members, young and old. It also
means gaining a deeper understanding of climate change and its impacts on Ojibwe ways of life.
Much of that work will be done by the Lac du Flambeau Resilience Initiative, which aims to
―take the lead to develop plans that the tribal government and community can use in everyday
life.‖ The tribe-led project will seek to integrate Western scientific knowledge about climate
change with what tribal members have observed over generations.
―I don‘t have no fancy degree, but years of being able to hunt, fish and gather and see these
changes firsthand,‖ Chapman said. ―These things are important, and we‘d like to be able to keep
doing them into the future.‖
The Ojibwe horizon for addressing climate change is also much longer than for many
nonnatives, who often say they are motivated to preserve the environment for their children and
grandchildren. The Ojibwe believe their responsibility to protect the Earth carries forward seven
generations.
Chapman noted that today‘s wild rice decline is occurring seven generations after the Lac du
Flambeau reservation was founded in 1854.
―We have to start paying respect to those other spirit relatives that were put here to provide for
us,‖ he said.
Others have distilled the message to a bumper sticker—―Save Our Wild Rice‖—that adorns
pickups and entryways on the reservation, which like other small cities supports a downtown
district, residential neighborhoods, tribal government offices, historic sites and parklands.

Rob Croll, climate coordinator with the Wisconsin-based Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife
Commission, agreed that research by nonnative scientists often overlooks traditional tribal
knowledge.
―I think the biggest thing is right now ... understanding that a lot of people still practice a
subsistence lifestyle. They‘re out hunting, fishing and gathering for personal use, for ceremonial
use, for feasts and funerals and all kinds of activities, and they‘re tied to the land in a deep way,‖
Croll said in an interview.
―Your average recreational angler or hunter isn‘t going to feel the effect [of climate change] the
same way because it‘s not a piece of their culture that they‘re trying to hang on to in the face of
years and years of basically oppression by the government.‖
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from E&E News. E&E provides daily coverage of
essential energy and environmental news at www.eenews.net.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-threatens-the-ancient-wild-rice-
traditions-of-the-ojibwe/
Where does methanol come from in home brew?
01 June 2020
Presented by Chris Smith with Lester Kiewit, 567 CapeTalk.
Production by Chris Smith.
WHISKY-STILL
Credit:
CC0, via Pixabay

This week where methanol comes from in home brewing, 5G and the coronavirus
conspiracies, why cut flowers still need water, rice behaving bizarrely in the microwave,
whether wind blows away infections, exploding jugs of custard, safe alcohol consumption,
why light has the speed it does, and why weather stops a space launch. Join Chris Smith
and Lester Kiewit for the answers...
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/ask-naked-scientists/where-does-methanol-come-
home-brew
"Think Rice" Digital Campaign Kicks-Off in Central
America
By Sarah Moran
ARLINGTON, VA -- In May, USA Rice partnered with 57 social media influencers in
Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica to launch the "Piensa en Arroz" (Think Rice)
2020 digital campaign. The campaign kicked off simultaneously in each country with
influencers posting their favorite rice-based photos, videos, tips, and tricks with the hashtags

#nutricionpoderosa (powerful nutrition), #economicofacilnutritivo (economical, easy nutritious),
and #piensaenarroz (think rice).
The campaign will continue throughout the year with social media influencers, and experts in the
fields of nutrition and lifestyle, as well as collaborations with TV and radio outlets to spread the
word about U.S.-grown rice.
"The concept of the "Piensa en Arroz" campaign is to align our efforts with networks of people
that can reach targeted groups of consumers to promote rice consumption by offering new
recipes, nutritional information, and important tips for better eating," said Asiha Grigsby, USA
Rice director of international promotion for the Western Hemisphere. "All posts can be found on
USA Rice digital platforms throughout Central America including Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube at @piensaenarroz."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) contributed to the
success of the new digital campaign by featuring USA Rice events on the SaborUSA Costa Rica
website, which is part of the U.S. government-sponsored marketing campaign that promotes U.S.
food and beverages for audiences in Central and South America.
FAS also created and shared several "fast videos" that show chefs cooking up quick and easy
recipes such as Stuffed Chiles with Rice, and Rice Pudding with Mango and Coconut, all
featuring U.S.-grown rice.
India Grain:Firm demand aids basmati prices, maize
dn on high supply
Monday, Jun 1
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – Following are the highlights from trading in grain markets today:
Commodity Market Price per 100/kg Change
Wheat Indore 1,830-1,860* —
Wheat Jaipur 1,700-1,730 —
Maize Purnea 1,340-1,370 (-)20-30
Maize Nizamabad 1,370-1,400 —
Pusa 1121 basmati paddy Amritsar 3,130-3,170 20-30

Commodity Market Price per 100/kg Change
Bajra Jaipur 1,650-1,700 (-)50-60
* Prices of Pusa 1121 basmati paddy rose today due to a rise in demand from bulk buyers amid a
fall in arrivals, traders said.
"With most restaurants likely to open now, rice millers bought more paddy in anticipation of a
rise in demand from restaurants and other bulk consumers," – Aniket Mehta, a Kota-based trader.
* However, the rise in prices may be capped due to a likely decline in exports, especially to Iran.
* Maize prices, declined further in key markets of Bihar today due to a rise in arrivals.
* In Purnea, arrivals were pegged at 21,000-25,000 bags (1 bag = 100 kg), against 18,000-20,000
bags on Friday, local trader Sehdev Jaiswal said.
* In major markets of southern India, however, maize prices remained largely steady.
"Prices of maize are seen falling in the coming days as demand is seen falling further."
– Amrutlal Kataria, a Nizamabad-based trader.
* On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, the most-active June contract ended
flat at 1,240 rupees per 100 kg.
* The price of bajra in Jaipur fell sharply today due to a dip in demand from bulk buyers such as
animal feed makers.
* Prices of mill-quality wheat remained steady today as demand from bulk buyers offset the rise
in supply, traders said.
* Jaipur, wheat arrivals were pegged at 40,000-45,000 bags (1 bag = 100 kg), compared with
35,000-40,000 bags on Saturday.
* Wheat spot markets in Indore and Kanpur were shut today. End
Edited by Maheswaran Parameswaran
Cogencis Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@cogencis.com
This copy was first published on the Cogencis WorkStation
http://www.cogencis.com/newssection/india-grainfirm-demand-aids-basmati-prices-maize-dn-
on-high-supply/

New biosensor visualizes stress in living plant cells in real
time
Nanosensor allows unprecedented access to explore mechanisms related to drought
Date:
June 1, 2020
Source:
University of California - San Diego
Summary:
Plant biologists have developed a new nanosensor that monitors foundational
mechanisms related to stress and drought. The new biosensor allows researchers to
analyze changes in real time as they happen involving kinases, enzymes that catalyze key
biological activities in proteins. Certain kinases are essential since they are known to be
activated in response to drought conditions, triggering the protective closure of small
pores on leaf surfaces known as stoma.
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FULL STORY
Plant biologists have long sought a deeper understanding of foundational processes involving
kinases, enzymes that catalyze key biological activities in proteins. Analyzing the processes
underlying kinases in plants takes on greater urgency in today's environment increasingly altered
by climate warming.
Certain "SnRK2" kinases (sucrose-non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase-2s) are essential
since they are known to be activated in response to drought conditions, triggering the protective
closure of small pores on leaf surfaces known as stoma. These pores allow carbon dioxide to
enter leaves, but plants also lose more than 90 percent of their water by evaporation through
them. Pore opening and closing functions help optimize growth and drought tolerance in
response to changes in the environment.
Now, plant biologists at the University of California San Diego have developed a new
nanosensor that allows researchers to monitor SnRK2 protein kinase activity in live plant cells.
The SnRK2 activity sensor, or "SNACS," is described in the journal eLife.
Prior efforts to dissect protein kinase activities involved a tedious process of grinding up plant
tissues and measuring kinase activities through cell extracts. More than 100 leaves were required
per experiment for analyses of the stomatal pore forming "guard cells." SNACS now allows
researchers to analyze changes in real time as they happen.
"Previously, it was not possible to investigate time-resolved SnRK2 activity in living plant
cells," said Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor Julian Schroeder, a member of the
Section of Cell and Developmental Biology and senior author of the new paper. "The SNACS
sensor reports direct real-time visualization of SnRK2 kinase activity in single live plant cells or
tissues."

The new biosensor is already paying dividends. The researchers describe using SNACS to
provide new evidence about longstanding questions about SnRK2 and foundational interactions
with carbon dioxide. The researchers show that abscisic acid, a drought stress hormone in plants,
activates the kinases, but that elevated carbon dioxide does not, resolving a recently debated
question.
"Our findings could benefit researchers investigating environmental stress responses in plants
and analyzing how different signaling pathways interact with one another in plant cells," said
Yohei Takahashi, a UC San Diego project scientist and co-corresponding author of the study.
"The ability to investigate time-resolved SnRK2 kinase regulation in live plants is of particular
importance for understanding environmental stress responses of plant cells."
The new nanosensor was developed using an approach pioneered by the late UC San Diego
Professor Roger Tsien, in part for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize.
The research team included Li Zhang, Yohei Takahashi, Po-Kai Hsu, Kollist Hannes, Ebe
Merilo, Patrick Krysan and Julian Schroeder.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California - San Diego. Original written by Mario
Aguilera. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1. Li Zhang, Yohei Takahashi, Po-Kai Hsu, Kollist Hannes, Ebe Merilo, Patrick J Krysan,
Julian I Schroeder. FRET kinase sensor development reveals SnRK2/OST1 activation
by ABA but not by MeJA and high CO2 during stomatal closure. eLife, 2020; 9 DOI:
10.7554/eLife.56351
Cite This Page:
 MLA
 APA
 Chicago
University of California - San Diego. "New biosensor visualizes stress in living plant cells in real
time: Nanosensor allows unprecedented access to explore mechanisms related to drought."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 June 2020.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200601152147.htm>.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200601152147.htm
Ensure procurement at MSP: Congress to TS govt
Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy demands compensation for farmers for the
"heavy" deduction in paddy by rice millers and for the losses due to damage in the recent
rains
By AuthorTelanganaToday | Published: 1st Jun 2020 9:41 pm

Hyderabad: The Congress in Telangana State has urged the State government to put in place a
mechanism by which farmers will be able to sell unprocured paddy and maize crops at Minimum
Support Price ―as announced by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.‖
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar here on Monday, chairman of
the party‘s Covid-19 Task Force Marri Shashidhar Reddy also demanded compensation for
farmers for the ―heavy‖ deduction in paddy by rice millers and for the losses due to damage in
the recent rains. Stating that the Congress does not see any scope for improvement in
procurement even after the last date for procurement was extended from May 31 to June 8, the
Congress leader, quoting media reports, said the Chief Minister had announced at a media
conference on March 29 that the State government would procure the entire yield at MSP
announced by the Centre.
―The promised quantities of paddy and maize have not been procured even after opening more
centre this year,‖ he said, and alleged that TRS functionaries were dominating at procurement
centres and that the procurement system was flawed.
―As against the normal deduction of 1.5 to two kg per quintal of paddy, miller were forcing and
even blackmailing farmers that unless they accepted a deduction of six to 10 kg per quintal, they
would not unload the paddy at the mills,‖ Shashidhar Reddy said, and sought a categorical
assurance from the government on these issues.
https://telanganatoday.com/ensure-procurement-at-msp-congress-to-ts-govt
Frozen cherries, floods, rice and crawfish top latest podcast
The Around Farm Progress podcast connects with editors Michigan and Ohio, and in the Delta
down South
Willie Vogt | May 29, 2020
For many, it may be a surprise at the diversity of crops in Michigan. In this episode of Around
Farm Progress we catch up with Jennifer Kiel, editor of Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer
magazines. She talks about a late freeze that took a bite out of the sour cherry crop, as well as
other crops, and she discusses the ongoing impact of flooding in the center of Michigan.
Down south we connect with Ron Smith, editor, Delta Farm Press who shares a planting update,
but also offers some interesting ag facts for a crop many may not understand – rice. And there's a
double-crop for some rice producers that may surprise some listeners. In Louisiana, rice growers
also raise crayfish, or is that crawfish?
Keeping up with coronavirus
On an added note, readers can catch all the Farm Progress coverage of COVID-19 by visiting the
special coronavirus online channel. Farm Progress editors are covering this event from across the

country providing both local and national insight into how it impacts all of agriculture. Just visit
FarmProgress.com/coronavirus.
And we've got more podcasts to share. Check out all our podcast links at
FarmProgress.com/farm-progress-podcasts to keep up on not only Around Farm Progress but
daily updates from Max Armstrong, and more.
The podcast Around Farm Progress goes live online by 3 p.m. Central time each Friday and will
engage editors from around the country. There will also be special guests, and other information
provided in this new show, so make an appointment to listen. You can listen to this week's
episode above and subscribe on Podbean at Around Farm Progress the podcast. And you can
now subscribe through Spotify, Google Play and the Apple podcast app. Just search "Around
Farm Progress" and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
Farmers are getting their information in new ways. Farm Progress is a leader in reaching them as
needed. From top magazines around the country to one of the first agriculture-focused mobile
apps from Farm Futures, to the leading television presence with This Week in Agribusiness, the
company covers all media for agriculture.
Comments or questions? Just send a note to willie.vogt@farmprogress.com
https://www.farmprogress.com/crops/frozen-cherries-floods-rice-and-crawfish-top-latest-podcast
China promotes Pakistan's hybrid rice
By APP
Published: May 31, 2020

PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING: China has continued to assist Pakistan in various fields including agriculture in a bid
to enhance its capacity to feed entire population of the country.
―Agriculture in Pakistan still relies heavily on manpower and my goal is to promote advanced
agricultural technologies and hybrid rice to improve rice production and alleviate the burden of
farmers,‖ a young Chinese agronomist, Dai Yingnan, said.
Dai has been promoting the plantation of hybrid rice in Pakistan for three years.
Born in a village of Liaoning province in northeast China, Dai grew corn and rice with his
parents when he was young and possesses a deep understanding of the hardship of farmers.
―Following the advice of my teacher, I chose to learn agronomy at Hunan Agriculture
University,‖ Dai told the China Economic Net on Saturday. ―Since few students would opt for
this major, which had strong links to farming, it became a safer choice for me to go to this
university.‖
Dai regretted his choice for a long time because he was of the view that he would become a
farmer after receiving four-year education in college.

The turning point appeared when Dai, as a representative of his university, had an opportunity to
talk to Yuan Longping, who is known as the father of hybrid rice.
―When I was confused about the prospect of agronomy, the esteemed man told me that
agriculture was the foundation of a country,‖ he said. ―At the same time, it is a slow growing
industry that demands a lot of time and people devoted to it.‖
Following his graduation in 2017, Dai accepted an offer at Yuan Longping High-Tech
Agriculture Company and was later sent to Pakistan to promote hybrid rice.
Earlier in his career, Dai never thought he would love the work until he got stranded at home for
almost half a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
―I really miss the farmlands in Pakistan,‖ Dai said. According to him, carrying out research and
promoting the plantation of hybrid rice in Pakistan was not an easy task.
Out of thousands of seeds, Dai had to select the one which was most suitable for the local
environment. This task itself demanded years of experience.
One of the best ways to find the right seed was to plant hybrid rice in test fields, observe it
carefully and record details of the growing process from sowing and blooming to final harvest.
―One missing or false record would lead to failure of the experiment and that usually wastes at
least half a year,‖ he said. Pakistan‘s torrid weather was another big challenge for the young boy
as temperature could reach nearly 50 degrees in summer.
During harvest every year, the yield of hybrid rice is apparently higher than the locally grown
rice and sometimes even twice by comparison, Dai said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st
, 2020.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the
conversation.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2232035/2-china-promotes-pakistans-hybrid-rice/
Landowners encouraged to enroll rice fields in new
habitat/public access program
LOCAL NEWS
Posted: May 31, 2020 / 08:15 AM CDT / Updated: May 31, 2020 / 08:15 AM CDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (News release) — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is
encouraging Arkansas rice producers to take advantage of a habitat incentive program that
enables them to earn extra money while maintaining rice production on their fields that are
within 10 miles of a WMA that has a waterfowl management focus. A webinar will be offered at
6 p.m., Thursday to learn more about this opportunity. Visit www.agfc.com/wrice for details.
The AGFC‘s Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement Program offers payments of
up to $150 per acre to landowners willing to forego tilling their rice fields under in fall, flood the
fields to make waste grain available to ducks and allow the AGFC to conduct managed draw

hunts on the property during each weekend of Arkansas‘s duck season. The application deadline
for this program is June 1.
―The payment varies based on the flooding option the landowner chooses and complies with
during the waterfowl wintering period,‖ said Luke Naylor, waterfowl program coordinator for
the AGFC. ―We‘ve already had many sign up, but we want to let any rice producer within the
focus areas have an opportunity to apply for these incentives.‖
Naylor says beyond making sure the field is flooded during the waterfowl wintering period and
allowing access, landowners will not have to provide any additional accommodations for
hunters.
―We will handle all the logistics of the hunts through an open public drawing,‖ Naylor said.
―Only four people per weekend will be allowed to hunt each field, and we will be able to contact
them directly. The landowner won‘t have to place or maintain any blinds, pits or other special
accommodations for the hunts.‖
The AGFC has hosted one webinar for interested landowners, which is available on the website.
The second webinar scheduled for this Thursday also will be hosted from agfc.com.
Visit www.agfc.com/wrice to learn more about the program and how to participate in the
webinar.
Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
https://www.fox16.com/news/local-news/landowners-encouraged-to-enroll-rice-fields-in-new-
habitat-public-access-program/
Rice prices ease as some countries relax COVID-related export
restrictions
By Special to The Commercial
Posted Jun 1, 2020 at 12:01 AM
As several rice-exporting countries around the world begin to ease COVID-related export and
other trade restrictions, global prices have become more competitive, falling from their peak
earlier in May, according to an economic impact report from the University of Arkansas System
Division of Agriculture.
While prices in the United States remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, global trade and
competition have brought international prices to heel, said Alvaro Durand-Morat, research
assistant professor for the Division of Agriculture and co-author of the report.
Durand-Morat said that many key rice-exporting countries, including Myanmar and Cambodia
among others, are beginning to resurface after several months of import restrictions designed to
weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
―As the COVID situation evolves, some countries have done quite well, and they‘re relaxing
those export restrictions, and that‘s easing prices,‖ he said.
―Prices in the United States have been driven by short supply more than anything else,‖ Durand-
Morat said. ―But in India and Thailand, for example, they‘ve gone back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

In Vietnam, they remain about $100 above pre-COVID prices. Overall, prices have become
much more competitive after the peak a few weeks ago.‖
India, the world‘s largest rice exporter, continues to struggle with the spread of the virus to a
large degree, causing delays throughout its supply chain.
―While the country has the lowest, most competitive price right now, they‘re by no means back
to full activity on the export side of things,‖ Durand-Morat said. ―They still have stay-at-home
orders, and that‘s delaying shipments.‖
There is no way of knowing when the global rice market will truly return to pre-COVID levels of
efficiency, he said.
―Who knows where this pandemic will go?‖ he said. ―Some countries, such as Vietnam, have
done a very good job, domestically speaking, in terms of controlling the pandemic. So, I‘d
expect them to be back to normal sooner, rather than later. India‘s outlook, on the other hand, is
not very optimistic. It‘s very hard for them to maintain social distance, and their cases are
increasing. They have plenty of rice to export, but if the pandemic is not under control, we could
expect their export capacity to suffer and put pressure on the global rice market.‖
Durand-Morat was one of four authors who contributed to the economic impact update report.
The Division of Agriculture has continued to publish economic analysis and other reports
throughout the pandemic, all of which can be found at https://bit.ly/AR-Ag-Eco-Impacts2020.
IMPACT ON U.S. RICE
Given the current stage in the U.S. agricultural planting cycle, it‘s unclear what opportunities the
current situation may present for American producers in 2020.
―With planting decisions, we know that for the last two months, all the economic factors favor
rice,‖ Durand-Morat said. ―When everything‘s said and done, we will likely see an increase in
rice acres.
―Is this an opportunity for US agriculture? I think if we had our choice, no one would have
chosen this situation,‖ he said. ―It continues to be a highly risky environment for agriculture, and
more so for cotton and corn; less so for soybean and rice.‖
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service
agent or visit www.uaex.edu. Follow the agency on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research
programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.
https://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20200601/rice-prices-ease-as-some-countries-relax-covid-
related-export-restrictions
Choosing rice that’s nice for all
Sok Chan / Khmer Times
Cambodian fragrant-rice farmers. Supplied

The Cambodian Huang Ming An Vision Agricultural Technology Co Ltd successfully piloted
growing the Japonica rice variety in Cambodia so now the company will work with the Ministry
of Agriculture to register this seedling in Cambodia. Huang Ming An, a professor and researcher
on Japonica rice at laboratory Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, and president of Cambodian Huang
Ming An Vision Agricultural Technology Co Ltdrun, he said that to expand the exports of
Cambodia rice to the global market beyond the Cambodian fragrant rice, the company should
cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and import 10 Japonica rice
varieties to test growing them in Cambodia.
―After the pilot for six years on this Japonica variety in Cambodia, the company found two
Japonica varieties are now suitable for Cambodia‘s climate and plan to register the seedling with
Cambodia‘s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,‖ he added.
He added that the company is now collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture‘s General
Directorate of Agriculture to evaluate this seedling. Meanwhile, the company will expand
production of the Japonica variety from Kampong Speu province to Battambang province.
He also plans to establish a fertiliser and pesticide factory and plans to create an agricultural
crops organisaion in Cambodia called Techo Long Agriculture Crops Institute. He added that
after the registration of the Techo Long Agriculture Crops Institute, the company will cooperate
with the local community conduct farming to grow the Japonica rice variety.
Cambodia Rice Federation‘s secretary-general Lun Yeng, told Khmer Times that the Japonica
rice variety is like IR varieties short term crops, but it is a short grain. Its market mostly is in
China and the European Union. It is called medium grain, and short grain rice .
He said one of the CRF‘s memberd has piloted this Japonica variety and studying and
researching this variety after this seedling was brought from China, grow and will be exporteed
to China.
―The yield is high. This variety is good for exporting to the EU because the medium grain is
tariff free. In fact, if it is successful growing in Cambodia, we can export it to China because
Chinese peope like it. We do not know the price, but the cost is lower than long grain, but it
takes a short time to grow and harvests early,‖ Yeng added.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, tests on Japonica and its adaptability to the Cambodian
soil have been conducted in some provinces in Cambodia since 2017 after the ministry signed an
agreement in January with two Chinese laboratories, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Centre and
Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, to study the grain jointly. A hectare of land planted with Japonica
can produce 6.5 tonnes of rice. On average, a hectare in Cambodia yields 3.5 tonnes of rice.

Kong Samoeun, deputy director of the Rice Crops Department at the General-Directorate of
Agriculture, told Khmer Times that at present we can evaluate that the Japonica rice variety
could survive and grow in Cambodia.
―If there is proper care, good soil, land preparation and no pests,, the yield is high. up to eight
tonnes per hectare, and it is also resilience to the climate change compared with our traditional
rice varieties. This Japonica is suitable for the Cambodia climate,‖ he added.
Ouk Makara, Director of the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute
(CARDI), told Khmer Times that so far, the government has released 46 rice varieties, however,
there are only 10 varieties that are popular and grown by the farmers.
―It is up to the market demand and farmer‘s needs, but we conducted research every day to find
the better rice crops to adapt with the climate changes. For the last two years, CARDI released
two new rice varieties , Phka Mealdei and Sen Kro Ob 01,‖ he added.
He said that the last two rice varieties are resilient to the climate change, drought and the quality
and yield is high.
He added the yield of Phka Mealdei is from 3.5 to 5.5 tonnes per hectare and Sen Kro Ob 01 is
from 4 to 5.5 tonnes per hectares and adapts to the dry and rainy seasons.
―Our released rice seedling is bearing with the quality and yields compared with Vietnamese rice
seedlings, but it is up to the farmers and market needs and businessmen or rice exporters,‖
Makara added.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50728838/choosing-rice-thats-nice-for-all/
Cambodia’s milled-rice exports soar 42% in first five months of 2020
The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network / 11:34 AM June 01, 2020
Cambodia exported 356,097 tonnes of milled rice in the first five months of this year, up 42
percent year-on-year from 250,172 tonnes. Hong Menea via The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News
Network
PHNOM PENH — Cambodian milled-rice exports to the international market in the first five
months of this year skyrocketed 42 percent to 356,097 tonnes from 250,172 tonnes during the same
period last year, said a report from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export
Formality.

The European market accounted for 122,010 tonnes, up 51.10 percent year-on-year from 80,749
tonnes, the Chinese market 136,825 tonnes, up 25.26 percent, Asean countries 45,825 tonnes, up
45.39 percent, and other destinations 51,437 tonnes, up 79.40 percent.
Fragrant rice accounted for 289,287 tonnes, or 81.24 percent, white long-grain rice 62,779 tonnes
and long-grain parboiled rice 4,031 tonnes.
In May alone, rice exports reached 55,845 tonnes, an increase of 53.38 percent compared to May
last year, of which 51,683 tonnes was fragrant rice, 3,578 tonnes was white long-grain rice and 584
tonnes was long-grain parboiled rice.
Pich Chan, general manager of rice miller and exporter Signatures of Asia Co Ltd, told The Post on
Sunday that rice exports have been steadily rising since the beginning of this year.
The Covid-19 outbreak has fueled global demand for food stockpiles, he said. ―Export growth
continues across all destination markets, most notably in those with a significant surge in orders,
such as Australia.
―It‘s a good sign for the Cambodian milled rice market, especially for fragrant varieties, as export
volumes to international markets further increase,‖ said Chan.
When asked about the outlook for the exports for the rest of the year, he said it was too early to
speculate due to uncertainty in countries‘ responses to the pandemic and their rice stock levels.
Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd vice-president Kann Kunthy could not be reached for comment on
Sunday.
But he wrote on his personal Facebook page during the weekend that he expects Cambodian milled
rice exports to hit 800,000 tonnes this year.
―Covid-19 has cracked the backbone of the Cambodian and global economies, disrupting almost
every sector.

ADVERTISEMENT
―But it has also reflected that the food and agricultural sectors are very crucial, and it is an
opportunity for Cambodia to focus attention on and develop the agricultural sector to its fullest
potential,‖ said Kunthy.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce vice-president Lim Heng said the additional export volume is
linked to Covid-19 concerns regarding food shortages.
―This is an opportunity that shows that Cambodia must work hard to strengthen and expand its
growing operations and grow more food-related crops.
―Covid-19 affects the export of agro-industrial products, but food and agricultural products are
doing very well,‖ said Heng.
With its favorable geographical location and climate, the Kingdom has many of the right features
to attract investors into agriculture, he said.
―Clear strategic planning is needed to meet the expectations of exporting one million tonnes of
milled rice,‖ said Heng, referring to the government‘s pledge to export one million tonnes of rice
per annum, originally made in August 2010 for 2015.
Cambodia exported 387,000 tonnes of rice in 2014, 538,396 tonnes in 2015, 542,144 tonnes in
2016, 635,679 tonnes in 2017, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data show.
The Kingdom exported 620,106 tonnes of rice last year, down 0.97 percent from 626,225 tonnes in
2018. The exports generated $501 million in revenue last year, down 4.3 percent from $524
million in 2018.
https://business.inquirer.net/298792/cambodias-milled-rice-exports-soar-42-in-first-five-months-
of-
2020#:~:text=PHNOM%20PENH%20%E2%80%94%20Cambodian%20milled%2Drice,Service
%20for%20Rice%20Export%20Formality.
Rice self-sufficiency requires more action
ByEireene Jairee Gomez
June 1, 2020

INCREASING the country‘s self-sufficiency from the current 87 percent to 93 percent requires
more than seed and fertilizer distribution, farmers groups told the Department of Agriculture
(DA).
In a statement over the weekend, the National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) and the
rice watch group Bantay Bigas said that the DA‘s Rice Resiliency Project (RRP) is bound to fail
as it offers no solution to the decades-long problems of landlessness, high cost of production,
limited irrigation services and post-harvest facilities while neoliberal policies remain.
―RRP is misleading as it presents that seed and fertilizer distribution alone would be enough to
increase our local palay (unmilled rice) production to reach its target 22.12 million metric tons
(MT) or 13.51 million MT rice at the end of the year,‖ Amihan Secretary General and Bantay
Bigas Spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said.
The groups noted that the country‘s average production from 2001 to 2019 was at 16.54 million
MT where the highest production was recorded on 2017 at 19.28 million MT.
―With an average yield per hectare of 3.7 MT and an average area harvested at 4.44 million
hectares, it would be difficult to meet DA‘s target especially that area harvested decreased from
4.81 million hectares in 2018 to 4.65 million hectares last year. It could even worsen considering
the impact of Rice Liberalization Law and the continuous land-use and crop conversion
implemented by the government,‖ Estavillo added.
According to DA, its P8.5-billion RRP, a part of its Plant, Plant Plant or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing
Sapat kontra Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), will yield an extra 1 million tons of rice and
improve the country‘s self-sufficiency level.
Estavillo, however, stressed that ―seeds and fertilizers is just a small part of the entire production
cost of farmers.‖
―RRP distributes at most two bags of seeds and three bags of fertilizers per farmer which is not
enough to cover a hectare of land. Farmers still have to spend for other farm inputs, land rent,
irrigation, machinery, labor and post-harvest expenses,‖ she added.
The groups said that RRP is increasing farmers‘ dependency on chemical-based farming that
entails higher production cost instead of developing local seed varieties and promoting agro-
ecological practices, which is safer and more sustainable.
―Food security based on self-reliance and self-sufficiency could be attained with sufficient
subsidy and support services from the government, free land distribution and veering away from
agricultural liberalization,‖ Estavillo added.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/01/business/business-top/rice-self-sufficiency-requires-
more-action/728569/
Thai rice exports facing price disadvantage

The price of Thai rice is higher than that of competitors due to limited supply and the
strengthening of the baht, which could hurt exports, the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA)
said.
VNA Monday, June 01, 2020 16:01
Sacks of rice at a mall in Bangkok, Thailand (Source: VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – The price of Thai rice is higher than that of competitors due to limited
supply and the strengthening of the baht, which could hurt exports, the Thai Rice Exporters
Association (TREA) said.
TREA President Charoen Laothammathat cited data of the Customs Department that the country
exported 2.11 million tonnes of rice worth 43 billion baht (1.38 billion USD), down 32.1 percent
and 15.7 percent year-on-year respectively during the first four months of 2020.
The figure during the first four months of 2019 was 3.1 million tonnes worth 51 billion baht.
In April alone, Thailand exported 643,852 tonnes of rice, earning 14.55 billion baht, up 23.7

percent and 32.7 percent respectively compared to the previous month as countries in America,
Africa and Asia imported more rice due to uncertainty following the COVID-19 outbreak.
The association expected the export of rice in May to drop to approximately 500,000 tonnes, as
rice importing countries were delaying orders, while competitors Vietnam, India and Pakistan
had returned to the market.
In addition, the price of Thai rice was higher than that of competitors due to limited supply and
strengthening of the baht, he noted.
He explained that the price of 5 percent white rice in Thailand was 501 USD per tonne, higher
than that of competitors by 30 USD to 130 USD.
In 2019, Thailand shipped 7.58 million tonnes of rice abroad, raking in 131 billion baht (over 4
billion USD), down 32 percent in volume and 25 percent in value compared to the previous
year./.
VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/thai-rice-exports-facing-price-disadvantage/174180.vnp
Higher budget share stressed for agriculture to ensure food
security
Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan | Published: 00:09, May 31,2020
Farmers dry paddy in the sun at Hashara in Munshiganj district on Saturday as the harvesting of
Boro paddy was mostly completed in the country. — Sourav Lasker
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the country‘s agriculture sector
hampering food productions and causing losses to farmers, said officials.
Economists and agricultural experts said that if the pandemic lingers, Bangladesh being heavily
dependent on food imports would face a severe crisis of foods in coming days.
As the pandemic is seriously impacting on the agriculture production across the world
international prices of the farm produces would be increasing, they said.
Bangladesh needs to annually import 60 to 65 lakh tonnes of wheat, five to 10 lakh tonnes of
maize, 80 per cent of its required oil, the experts said, adding that the country also imported
much of its sugar, pulse, spice requirements and all kinds of seeds to meet the local demand.
Senior agricultural economist Jahangir Alam Khan said that with the COVID-19 pandemic
lingering each of the world‘s countries would become ‗a closed economy like an island‘ and they

would not be willing to export their agricultural produces.
‗As Bangladesh heavily depends on imports, so it may face a food crisis,‘ he said.
Economists and agricultural experts suggested that the government should take immediate steps
for enhanced budget allocations to ensure food sufficiency.
Bangladesh has been mostly self-sufficient in rice and potato productions though the farmers are
deprived of fair prices for their crops.
Growers of boro rice, the largest cereal crop of the country, are incurring heavy losses as they are
now forced to sell their rice at a lower price than the rate fixed by the government, said officials.
THey are selling 40kgs of boro paddy at Tk 650 to Tk 900 though the government has set the
price at Tk 1,040, according to the agriculture ministry.
Senior agricultural expert Abdul Hamid, also the chairman of Agrarian Research Foundation,
told New Age that there was no government strategic plan to turn agriculture profitable for the
farmers.
‗The main problem in our agriculture is that the farmers after growing crops with hard labour
don‘t get good prices,‘ he said.
In 1935, he said, India had adopted the agriculture marketing act to protect its farmers but in
Bangladesh there is no protection for the growers though many incentives are provided for
exporting agricultural produces.
‗A huge budgetary allocation is needed for investment in the agriculture sector to develop
infrastructure for small and medium enterprises to process foods with value addition,‘ he said.
Hamid, a former director of Krishi Gabeshona Foundation said that Bangladesh could take the
COVID-19 crisis as a challenge to create opportunities in the agriculture sector.

‗Millions of young and educated people in the rural area should be trained and engaged in
agriculture,‘ he proposed.
Jahangir Alam Khan, a winner of the Ekushey Padak in 2020, said that the agriculture budget
should be focused on achieving self-sufficiency in food production and nutrition supply.
‗A big budget allocation is needed for agriculture and rural development,‘ he said.
Though the allocations in the Annual Development Plan have not been shown with priority, he
said that considering the current pandemic, the first priority should be given to the health sector
and the second priority to the agriculture sector.
In this pandemic situation agriculture and rural development should be given emphasis in the
revenue budget too, he further said.
The agriculture budget should also be increased in pace with the expansion of the food rations,
he said.
Over the last six years, the subsidy in agriculture has remained Tk 9,000 crore which means that
the amount of subsidy is decreasing every year as the budget size is increasing.
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University‘s agronomy professor Abdullahil Baque advised the
government to allocate fund for purchasing agricultural produces like rice directly from the
farmers to ensure fair market price.
‗Incentives should be provided to breeders for seed supply through the Bangladesh Aagricultural
Development Corporation and the Department for Agricultural Extension,‘ he said, seeking fund
for seed production by the DAE for paddy, wheat, maize, jute and summer onion.
He also said that the government should channel fund to marginal farmers at low interest for
poultry industry, fish industry and dairy. ‗In this situation special fund allocation is needed to
purchase dairy milk from the small dairy farm owners and distribute it among the homeless
people.‘
‗Special investment is needed for the seed sector to ensure good quality seed production. Good
seeds can contribute to 20 per cent yield increase especially for hybrid seed,‘ he further said.
He predicted that Bangladesh would face a big problem in procuring good quality seeds because
import of seeds will face problems due to the worldwide COVID-19 prevalence.
‗It is crucial to allocate fund for crop insurance because farmers need support if their crops fail
due to natural disasters. ‗
The agronomist said that due to the pandemic situation special fund allocation was needed for
those agricultural crops that contain vitamins and minerals in order to boost the human immune
system. For example, zinc, iron and vitamins are available in rice, vegetable, wheat, maize, oil
crops, pulse crops, fish and poultry.On April 12, prime minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled a Tk
5,000 crore stimulus package with 5 percent interest rate for the farmers who were affected
severely by the shutdown amid the coronavirus outbreak.Agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque
said that the government was working relentlessly to ensure food security of the country.To
facilitate paddy harvesting, various agricultural equipment including about 1,300 combine
harvesters, 934 reapers, and 22 rice transplanters have been given to farmers at a total cost of Tk
200 crore, said the agriculture minister.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/107307/higher-budget-share-stressed-for-agriculture-to-
ensure-food-security

India raises 2020/21 common rice purchase price by 2.9%
JUNE 1, 2020 / 5:56 PM /
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, June 1 (Reuters) - India has raised the price at which it will buy new-
season common rice varieties from local farmers by 2.9%, the agriculture minister said on
Monday.
For common grades of rice, the government has fixed the support price at 1,868 Indian rupees
($24.75) per 100 kg, Narendra Singh Tomar told a news conference.
Buoyed by the increase in the guaranteed price, Indian farmers are expected to plant more rice in
June and July, when monsoon rains spur planting of the staple in the world‘s biggest exporter of
the grain.
Above-average monsoon rains should also boost crop yields.
The higher output will force the government to buy more from local farmers, bumping up local
supplies and adding extra stocks to brimful granaries.The government also raised the purchase
price of long staple cotton to 5,825 rupees per 100 kg against 5,550 rupees from the previous
year and that of soybean to 3,880 rupees, up from 3,710 in 2019/20.
Higher cotton output will help India, the world‘s biggest producer of the fibre and boost its
exports to Asian buyers such as China, Bangladesh and Vietnam.At the same time, the increase
in soybean production could cut expensive vegetable oil imports by India, the world‘s No. 1
buyer of edible oils. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav and Mayank Bhardwaj; editing by Barbara
Lewis)
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://www.reuters.com/article/india-crops/india-raises-2020-21-common-rice-purchase-price-
by-2-9-
idUSL4N2DE33F#:~:text=India%20raises%202020%2F21%20common%20rice%20purchase%
20price%20by%202.9%25,-
2%20Min%20Read&text=MUMBAI%2FNEW%20DELHI%2C%20June%201,agriculture%20
minister%20said%20on%20Monday.
BRIEF-India Raises 2020/21 Common Grade Rice Purchase
Price To 1,868 Rupees Per 100 KG
June 1 (Reuters) -
* INDIA RAISES 2020/21 COMMON GRADE RICE PURCHASE PRICE TO 1,868 RUPEES
PER 100 KG VERSUS 1,815 RUPEES PREVIOUS YEAR- GOVERNMENT
https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-india-raises-2020-21-common-grade/brief-india-raises-
2020-21-common-grade-rice-purchase-price-to-1868-rupees-per-100-kg-idUSFWN2DE0FU

Iraq has only 190,000 tonnes of rice left for food programme
- ministry
MAY 31, 2020 / 2:13 PM
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has only 190,000 tonnes of rice available in its coffers for its food
rationing programme, the trade ministry said in a statement late on Saturday.
The country needs around 1-1.25 million tonnes of rice a year to support the programme.
In March, the trade ministry pleaded for money from the state‘s budget to build three months‘
supply of strategic wheat and rice stockpiles as Iraq grappled with the spread of the new
coronavirus.
The ministry on Saturday renewed its call for more funds, saying the allocations were crucial,
despite ―difficulties‖ with the budget, because many Iraqis are ―struggling to provide their daily
food due to tough economic conditions amid the coronavirus crisis‖.
Iraq, a major Middle East wheat and rice buyer, was politically gridlocked after former Prime
Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was ousted by nationwide anti-corruption protests, hampering
efforts to get a state budget approved before the start of the calendar year.
Iraq‘s grain board, which falls under the trade ministry, holds regular international tenders to
import wheat and rice for the rationing programme, which also covers cooking oil, flour and
sugar.
Reporting by Moayed Kenany in Baghdad, Writing by Nadine Awadalla, Editing by Maha El
Dahan, Kirsten Donovan
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://in.reuters.com/article/iraq-rice/iraq-has-only-190000-tonnes-of-rice-left-for-food-
programme-ministry-idINKBN23709F
India raises local purchase price for summer crops by 50%
India has raised the price at which it could buy new-season summer crops, including rice by up
to 50%, farm minister told a news conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
BUSINESS Updated: Jun 01, 2020 17:05 IST
Reuters | Posted by Niyati Singh
New Delhi
The government announces the so-called minimum support prices (MSPs) for various crops to
set a benchmark. (File photo for representation)
India has raised the price at which it could buy new-season summer crops, including rice by up
to 50%, farm minister told a news conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.

The government announces the so-called minimum support prices (MSPs) for various crops to
set a benchmark. But state agencies buy limited quantities of staples such as rice and wheat at
those prices, restricting the benefits of guaranteed prices to only around 7% of the country‘s 263
million farmers, according to various studies.
But the government has decided to raise the support price by up to 50% to support farmers
reeling from an extended lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/india-raises-local-purchase-price-for-summer-
crops-by-50/story-
7CXIBjworcXgyub4McnaqL.html#:~:text=India%20has%20raised%20the%20price%20at%20w
hich%20it%20could%20buy,crops%20to%20set%20a%20benchmark.
India to receive above-average monsoon rains, boosting crop
output
Rajendra Jadhav, Mayank Bhardwaj
JUNE 1, 2020 / 2:26 PM /
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is likely to receive above average monsoon rainfall for
the second straight year in 2020, the state-run weather office said on Monday, raising hopes for
higher farm output and a boost for Asia‘s third-biggest economy as it reels from the new
coronavirus.

FILE PHOTO: A man rows his boat in the tributary waters of Vembanad Lake against the
backdrop of pre-monsoon clouds on the outskirts of Kochi, India, June 7, 2019.
REUTERS/Sivaram V
Monsoon rains are critical for farm output and economic growth as about 55% of the south Asian
nation‘s arable land is rain-fed, and the farm sector makes up about 15 percent of a nearly $2-
trillion economy, Asia‘s third-biggest.
Monsoon rains are expected to be 102% of a long-term average (LTA), M. Rajeevan, secretary at
the Ministry of Earth Sciences told a news conference.
The India Meteorological Department defines normal rainfall as between 96% and 104% of a 50-
year average of 88 centimetres for the four-month season beginning in June.
In July, a crucial month for planting summer-sown crops, India could receive 103% rainfall of its
LTA, while in August it could receive 97%, Rajeevan said.
Rains usually lash Kerala state, on India‘s southwest coast, from around June 1 and cover the
whole country by mid-July. This year the monsoon came on time and could boost the planting of
crops such as rice, soybeans and cotton.
Yields of summer-sown crops could be better this year, Ashwini Bansod, head commodities
research at Phillip Capital India Pvt Ltd, said.
―The soil moisture level is good due to higher pre-monsoon rains and even during the monsoon,
rainfall is expected to be well-distributed across the country,‖ Bansod said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-monsoon-average/india-to-receive-above-average-
monsoon-rains-boosting-crop-output-idUSKBN2381XS
Swarms of Locusts Enter Chhattisgarh Forest Area from
MP, Officials Say No Crop Damage Reported So Far
JUNE 1, 2020, 1:11 PM
So far, no damage to crops or trees has been reported due to these short-horned grasshoppers,
which have been killed by spraying of pesticides, officials said.
https://www.news18.com/newstopics/locust-chhattisgarh.html

China promotes Pakistan's hybrid rice
By APP
Published: May 31, 2020
PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING: China has continued to assist Pakistan in various fields including agriculture in a bid
to enhance its capacity to feed entire population of the country.
―Agriculture in Pakistan still relies heavily on manpower and my goal is to promote advanced
agricultural technologies and hybrid rice to improve rice production and alleviate the burden of
farmers,‖ a young Chinese agronomist, Dai Yingnan, said.
Dai has been promoting the plantation of hybrid rice in Pakistan for three years.
Born in a village of Liaoning province in northeast China, Dai grew corn and rice with his
parents when he was young and possesses a deep understanding of the hardship of farmers.
―Following the advice of my teacher, I chose to learn agronomy at Hunan Agriculture
University,‖ Dai told the China Economic Net on Saturday. ―Since few students would opt for
this major, which had strong links to farming, it became a safer choice for me to go to this
university.‖

Dai regretted his choice for a long time because he was of the view that he would become a
farmer after receiving four-year education in college.
The turning point appeared when Dai, as a representative of his university, had an opportunity
to talk to Yuan Longping, who is known as the father of hybrid rice.
―When I was confused about the prospect of agronomy, the esteemed man told me that
agriculture was the foundation of a country,‖ he said. ―At the same time, it is a slow growing
industry that demands a lot of time and people devoted to it.‖
Following his graduation in 2017, Dai accepted an offer at Yuan Longping High-Tech
Agriculture Company and was later sent to Pakistan to promote hybrid rice.
Earlier in his career, Dai never thought he would love the work until he got stranded at home
for almost half a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
―I really miss the farmlands in Pakistan,‖ Dai said. According to him, carrying out research
and promoting the plantation of hybrid rice in Pakistan was not an easy task.
Out of thousands of seeds, Dai had to select the one which was most suitable for the local
environment. This task itself demanded years of experience.
One of the best ways to find the right seed was to plant hybrid rice in test fields, observe it
carefully and record details of the growing process from sowing and blooming to final harvest.
―One missing or false record would lead to failure of the experiment and that usually wastes at
least half a year,‖ he said. Pakistan‘s torrid weather was another big challenge for the young
boy as temperature could reach nearly 50 degrees in summer.
During harvest every year, the yield of hybrid rice is apparently higher than the locally grown
rice and sometimes even twice by comparison, Dai said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st
, 2020.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the
conversation.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2232035/2-china-promotes-pakistans-hybrid-rice/
CM orders measures to prevent locust onslaught
The Newspaper's Staff ReporterJune 01, 2020Facebook Count
LAHORE: The chief minister has directed the line departments to undertake advance measures
to counter the possible locust attack in mid-June and July.
He directed the agriculture department and the PDMA to closely monitor the situation and
further directed to ascertain the cost of damage being incurred to the crops due to locust attack.
He said funds of Rs1 billion had been released to eradicate locusts and save standing crops in
fields across the province.
Besides conducting aerial spray, he said, spray was also being conducted through vehicles to
save the fields. Spray had been conducted on more than 756,000 acres so far, he said.

The chief minister said control rooms had been set up at divisional and district levels and the
present situation was also being monitored round-the-clock. Mr Buzdar assured that all possible
resources were being utilised to save farmers from losses.
The chief minister said the nation had clearly come to know those elements enjoying the London
excursion – a clear reference to Nawaz Sharif who has been spotted at a roadside café in London.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, the chief minister observed that such elements always
proceeded abroad by deserting their people in time of need. ―The masses have fully recognised
their dual faces now,‖ he said.
Mr Buzdar said the opposition parties were carrying forward their agenda of saving themselves
instead of becoming helpful in eradicating coronavirus. He lamented that opposition parties‘
leaders had shown their apathy and proved their lack of concern by politicising an all-important
national issue like coronavirus.
He condemned the opposition parties for indulging in point-scoring on an important national
issue like coronavirus. ―It is high time to shun politics and stand by the distressed and grieved
humanity,‖ he stressed.
Meanwhile, Mr Buzdar has urged the masses to change their lifestyles in order to save
themselves from coronavirus.
―We can save ourselves from coronavirus by bringing about changes in our social behaviour,‖ he
said.
In a statement here on Sunday, Mr Buzdar advised the masses to cover their faces and nose while
going out of their houses. He emphasised that by covering face and nose, people will not only
keep themselves safe but save their families from this contagious disease.
He said the government was working on a permanent basis so as to save the masses from the
hazards of coronavirus. He underscored that precaution was essential for a healthy life. He
appealed to the masses to ensure adopting preventive measures in order to save themselves from
coronavirus.
He said people could save their children and parents by wearing masks.
TIGER FORCE: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs Usman Dar says over
600,000 volunteers of Tiger Force are performing duties at quarantine centres, field hospitals,
mosques and other places to implement SOPs regarding coronavirus, besides assisting the

administrations in price control and their performance is yielding positive results across the
province.
Speaking at a meeting at Chief Secretary‘s Camp Office, Mr Dar said the scope of services of
volunteers was being widened as the establishment of Tiger Force helped strengthen the link
between people and the administration.
The chief secretary directed the officers that the Tiger Force was a useful human resource and
their services should be utilised in the best possible manner. The administrative officers briefed
the meeting about the performance and usefulness of the Tiger Force in their respective areas.
Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2020
https://www.dawn.com/news/1560512/cm-orders-measures-to-prevent-locust-onslaught
Rice planting starts at paddy fields in Mazandaran
1. Society
June 1, 2020 - 11:5
Photos depict rice seedlings freshly planted at paddy fields, which are sandwiched between green
hills in Zirab county, northern Mazandaran province, May 24, 2020.
Iranian farmers start planting rice on southern Caspian-Sea fields in the second Iranian calendar
month of Ordibehesht (April-May).
Some 2.9 million tons of rice were harvested in the country during the past Iranian calendar year
of 1398 (ended on March 19), according to the Agriculture Ministry.
The fragrance of Iranian rice is distinct worldwide. The Iranian method of rice cooking is very
different from those of other countries across the globe. It may seem to be a bit long and detailed,
but the key tradition in the Iranian culinary is patience as many Iranians believe that making
good food is an art.
Rice cooking in Iran also has a few tricks that you won‘t find in other rice-loving nations. There
are washing, boiling, draining, and finally steaming methods to cook your rice perfectly. For
example, Iranians generally cover their rice with a damkoni (a fitted fabric pot-lid cover) when
steaming it to prevent the vapor from escaping. Persian rice is best served immediately right out
of the pot when it is still hot and buttery.
The average area under rice cultivation in the country in the past three years was about 605,000
hectares, of which 70 percent is concentrated in northern Gilan and Mazandaran provinces.
AFM/MG
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/448424/Rice-planting-starts-at-paddy-fields-in-Mazandaran

Advisory on locust attack issued
 Posted: Jun 01, 2020 06:49 AM (IST)
 Updated
:
Una, May 31
In view of locust attacks on vegetation in some neighbouring of the state, the Una district
administration has issued an advisory to the local farmers to intimate the nearest agriculture
officer in case of an attack.
Swarms of locusts have entered Rajasthan and Punjab from Pakistan, causing damage to crops.
As per the reports, some of the swarms spread over 1 km and consist of 40 to 80 million insects.
Suresh Kapoor, Deputy Director of the District Agriculture Department, said there were chances
of locust attacks on vegetation in Una district because it bordered Punjab. He said kharif sowing
that included maize, pulses, oil seeds and vegetables was round the corner, and farmers needed to
keep a watch on locust attacks.
Kapoor advised farmers to spray water-soluble insecticides such as chlorpyriphos or malathion
as per dosage advised by agriculture experts. —TNS
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/advisory-on-locust-attack-issued-92568

India and Pakistan brace for worst locust attack in 27 years
Amid COVID-19, Modi vows to 'salvage our crops' as drones and helicopters readied
A swarm of desert locusts flies over a ranch near the town on Nanyuki in Laikipia county,
Kenya, Feb. 21. © Reuters
KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writerJune 1, 2020 17:49 JST
NEW DELHI -- In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, India and Pakistan are battling
another crisis -- their worst locust attack in nearly three decades.
The flying insects have crossed over to India in a wave of desert swarms from neighboring
Pakistan, sweeping several parts of the country and threatening to damage crops.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted in a Sunday radio address that many parts of the
country have been affected by locust attacks, adding that efforts are on to help farmers and
reduce crop losses by using modern techniques to tackle the crisis. "I am sure that together not
only will we be able to battle out this crisis that is looming on our agricultural sector, but also
manage to salvage our crops," Modi said.
Among Indian states affected by the desert locusts, one of about a dozen species of short-horned
grasshoppers, are northwestern Rajasthan, northern Punjab, western Gujarat and central Madhya
Pradesh. Several other states as well as the territory that includes the national capital have also
sounded the alarm over a potential attack in their regions.
In Pakistan, the desert locusts have reportedly entered from Iran, and have already devoured
considerable quantities of crops in over 60 districts in all provinces, including Balochistan in the
southwest. Media also say the country is intensifying efforts to combat the plague with pest
control systems including spray aircraft.

The local government in the Indian capital region where New Delhi is located has directed
authorities to take preventive measures to control and eradicate the locusts to avoid the
"devastating effect on standing agricultural and horticultural crops, vegetation, plants, gardens,
orchards" and other potential targets of the insects. It is considering measures including creating
awareness among the public and farmers about the attack and spraying insecticide and pesticide
on crops.
In India's worst-hit areas, people have also resorted to tactics such as banging utensils and
playing loud music to scare away the pests.
India experienced its worst locust attack in 1993 when it witnessed 172 swarm incursions.
According to a 2014 document issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, "technical assistance and capacity building were provided to India and Pakistan [in
1993] that successfully prevented swarms from migrating to other regions." India treated
311,199 hectares (3,112 sq. kilometers) of area by air and ground operations and Pakistan treated
a total of 316,979 hectares, it said.
Locusts are an omnivorous and migratory insect that can fly hundreds of kilometers in swarms
and easily cross national boundaries. Apart from Africa and Asia, it is also found in the Middle
East, and inhabits some 60 countries. A swarm one sq. kilometer in size contains about 40
million locusts, which eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people, according
to the FAO.
The attack is a double blow for India as it comes amid the spread of the coronavirus. Confirmed
cases as of Monday climbed to 190,535 with 5,394 deaths.
Narendra Singh Tomar, India's minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, last week
reviewed the country's locust control operations during a high-level meeting.
In a statement, the government said it is set to procure 60 insecticide sprayers from Britain. It
added, "drones will be used to spray pesticides on tall trees and inaccessible places for effective
control of locusts, while plans are afoot to deploy helicopters for aerial spray."
"This type of locust attack is usually seen in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular eastern African
countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia," Sandip Das, an agriculture and food security expert, told
the Nikkei Asian Review. Das said that this year's attack is "much more" intense than one last
year.
Das added, however, that most of the wheat harvest in India is complete, with fields now being
prepared for rice planting once the monsoon rains start this month. "So, there won't be extensive
damage to big crops, though fruits and vegetables" could be affected by the attack, he said.
Usually the locust swarms enter India through Pakistan for summer breeding in June or July with
the advent of the monsoon. But this year, Indian officials say, the pink swarms started much
earlier in April because of presence of a residual population in Pakistan that couldn't be
controlled last season.
Pink immature adults fly high and cover long distances during daytime hours before settling on
trees at night. They are very active and their mobility makes it difficult to control individual
swarms.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Natural-disasters/India-and-Pakistan-brace-for-worst-locust-
attack-in-27-years

Climate Change Threatens the Ancient Wild Rice Traditions of the
Ojibwe
Yields of native wild rice have shrunk due to temperature rise, shoreline erosion and other
environmental problems
 By Daniel Cusick, E&E News on June 1, 2020
One harvester pushes a canoe through the rice and the other knocks the grains into the canoe with
sticks. Bowstring River, near Inger, Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota. Credit: Phil Schermeister
Getty Images
The Ojibwe people of modern-day Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have for 1,000 years
adhered to a spiritual prophecy to live ―where food grows on the water.‖
That food is native wild rice, or ―manoomin‖ in the Anishinaabe language of the Ojibwe.
But with an increasingly unpredictable climate across the ―Five Freshwater Seas,‖ as the Great
Lakes are known, the Ojibwe‘s ancient wild rice traditions are being undermined.
So is the prophecy that ordained it.
―We are here to honor our spirit relatives, which includes all creation. Wild rice is considered
sacred,‖ said Eric Chapman Sr., a council member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians and director of the Wisconsin tribe‘s wild rice cultural enhancement
program.
The word ―Chippewa,‖ imprinted on the Ojibwe in 19th-century treaties with the United States,
is not favored by the tribe, whose origins lie with the Algonquin tribes of North America‘s
eastern forests.
The Ojibwe were among several Algonquin tribes to migrate to the Great Lakes after the first of
the ―Seven Fires Prophecies‖ warned that the tribe would be destroyed by an invader from the
sea. That invader is widely interpreted to be Europeans, according to Chapman.
The Great Lakes offered a new life for the early Ojibwe, one built around hunting, fishing and
gathering. The tribe is still recognized for some of its long-standing traditions: fur trapping,

syrup making, and the construction of birch bark canoes and dome-shaped traditional homes
called wigwams.
Proud culture, new enemy
Yet few of these traditions are as culturally or religiously important as native wild rice
harvesting. Its steep decline in small lakes on reservations has fostered uncertainty and even fear
among many Ojibwe. Elders and spiritual leaders are attuned to the environmental crisis and
praying for wisdom to guide tribal resource managers toward solutions, officials say.
Academic researchers are also seeking answers derived from traditional knowledge, field
research and science.
Evidence of climate change is clear, they say, but countering what experts say could be an
ecological collapse remains difficult, even as changing conditions make wild rice more
vulnerable year after year.
Free Digital Access to Our June Issue
―What‘s incredibly frustrating is it‘s very hard to tell exactly why a lake becomes impaired,‖ said
Crystal Ng, a University of Minnesota hydrologist and wild rice expert who works closely with
the Ojibwe. ―There are ideas, but we don‘t yet have the answers.‖
Scientists do know that wild rice, which grows in shallow lake water, needs a hard winter freeze
and low temperatures to germinate in the spring. Minnesota is one of the fastest-warming states
in the country, scientists say.
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Climate change concerns are rising in another sphere, too: the planned construction of an oil
pipeline through the heart of Ojibwe territory in northern Minnesota.
Ojibwe leaders, while seeking a life bound to nature and spirituality, are increasingly being thrust
into a conflict they never sought and energy regulatory processes in which they have little trust.
But wild rice is preeminent.
At the tribe‘s 86,500-acre Lac du Flambeau reservation in northern Wisconsin, written and oral
history passed down through generations indicates wild rice was harvested from many of the
shallow lakes and rivers that pepper the reservation about 220 miles north of Madison.

Today, rice grows on just two lakes within the reservation, and only one of them is harvestable,
said officials with the Lac du Flambeau wild rice cultural enhancement program.
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Rice yields have also dropped precipitously. Surveys from the 1920s show that Lac du
Flambeau‘s freshwater lakes produced roughly 200 pounds of rice per family, enough to carry
the tribe through the long winter and spring. Today, a family does well to harvest 80 pounds of
rice, and that number is going down every year.
―Especially over the last couple of years, we‘ve seen big drops,‖ said Chapman, 54, who has
lived his entire life on the Lac du Flambeau reservation. ―By midcentury, it might be wiped out.‖
Ojibwe bands throughout the Great Lakes, recognizing the environmental and cultural crisis, are
reviving traditional ceremonies, attending climate adaptation workshops and consulting nontribal
experts to enhance their knowledge of what‘s happening to native wild rice.
‘Flagship’ of ecosystems
Experts say some of the decline is explained by activities like logging, dam building and river
channelization. Increasingly, though, wild rice is succumbing to more nuanced environmental
changes: air and water temperature variability, extreme rain events, and changes in water
chemistry associated with shoreline erosion.
―When there‘s a problem for wild rice, there are wider implications throughout the ecosystem,‖
Ng said in a seminar last year. ―So for all these reasons, wild rice really serves as a flagship for
both environmental preservation and for indigenous resource sovereignty.‖
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Record-high water levels on the Great Lakes have also been a factor. Some of the most
productive wild rice beds are in Lake Superior sloughs and backwaters. High water can wipe out
a year‘s harvest.
Wild rice is also highly adapted to conditions in smaller lakes, where even subtle variations in
water levels, temperatures and chemical composition can render a lake uninhabitable for the
plants.
Rice plants are also squeezed by competing species like pickerel weed, which absorbs sunlight
and essential nutrients.

―There are lakes that are just filled with it,‖ Ng said of the aquatic weed. ―They actually go in
and cut it. It doesn‘t seem to be helping.‖
Native rice plants are at greatest risk during what‘s called the ―floating leaf stage‖ in
midsummer, when the plants break the lake surface and begin flowering. A shock of
precipitation from an extreme weather event can raise lake levels and pull the rice plants‘ roots
from the lake bottom, causing mass die-offs.
The Ojibwe have witnessed these changes for years, but only recently has the problem become
recognized by nontribal scientists and wildlife agencies. There‘s a reason for that.
Michael Dockry, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and a co-investigator on
the wild rice research effort, said tribes like the Ojibwe ―have been marginalized in discussions
around climate change.‖ He said new research must merge traditional knowledge with scientific
methods.
―The tribes are leading us now,‖ Dockry said, ―not only in the questions we‘re asking, but in the
data we‘re collecting and our analysis of that data.‖
7 generations
At Lac du Flambeau, what Ng called ―indigenous sovereignty‖ has manifested itself in programs
to elevate and restore wild rice‘s importance among tribal members, young and old. It also
means gaining a deeper understanding of climate change and its impacts on Ojibwe ways of life.
Much of that work will be done by the Lac du Flambeau Resilience Initiative, which aims to
―take the lead to develop plans that the tribal government and community can use in everyday
life.‖ The tribe-led project will seek to integrate Western scientific knowledge about climate
change with what tribal members have observed over generations.
―I don‘t have no fancy degree, but years of being able to hunt, fish and gather and see these
changes firsthand,‖ Chapman said. ―These things are important, and we‘d like to be able to keep
doing them into the future.‖
The Ojibwe horizon for addressing climate change is also much longer than for many
nonnatives, who often say they are motivated to preserve the environment for their children and
grandchildren. The Ojibwe believe their responsibility to protect the Earth carries forward seven
generations.
Chapman noted that today‘s wild rice decline is occurring seven generations after the Lac du
Flambeau reservation was founded in 1854.

―We have to start paying respect to those other spirit relatives that were put here to provide for
us,‖ he said.
Others have distilled the message to a bumper sticker—―Save Our Wild Rice‖—that adorns
pickups and entryways on the reservation, which like other small cities supports a downtown
district, residential neighborhoods, tribal government offices, historic sites and parklands.
Rob Croll, climate coordinator with the Wisconsin-based Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife
Commission, agreed that research by nonnative scientists often overlooks traditional tribal
knowledge.
―I think the biggest thing is right now ... understanding that a lot of people still practice a
subsistence lifestyle. They‘re out hunting, fishing and gathering for personal use, for ceremonial
use, for feasts and funerals and all kinds of activities, and they‘re tied to the land in a deep way,‖
Croll said in an interview.
―Your average recreational angler or hunter isn‘t going to feel the effect [of climate change] the
same way because it‘s not a piece of their culture that they‘re trying to hang on to in the face of
years and years of basically oppression by the government.‖
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from E&E News. E&E provides daily coverage of
essential energy and environmental news at www.eenews.net.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-threatens-the-ancient-wild-rice-
traditions-of-the-ojibwe/
Undisciplined: Fire And Rice
By Matthew LaPlante •
Credit HungTang Ko and David Hu, Journal of the Royal Society Interface
Since the unification of the northern and southern dynasties in China 1,500 years ago, Chinese
chefs have been making fried rice. And if you have never stopped to watch a master chef go to
work preparing this dish, you are missing out.
Fried rice is prepared in a wok using a tossing technique that enables food to cook without
burning at temperatures of 1,200 degrees Celsius — that‘s 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

And there is a deep, b
eautiful, ancient art to this. But as our guest will explain, there‘s a whole lot of science, too.
HungTang Ko is a PhD student in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech University and his
research is gorgeously interdisciplinary. His major research interest is in biophysics and he has
published a whole bunch of stuff on fire ants, but he‘s gotten a lot of attention lately on his work
examining the physics of wok tossing, which was recently published on the cover of the Journal
of the Royal Society Interface.
https://www.upr.org/post/undisciplined-fire-and-rice

2nd june 2020 daily global regional and local rice e newsletter

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