2nd september ,2015 daily global regional local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
1
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www.ricepluss.com & www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
2nd September,2015
Vol 5,Issue XIII
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

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Pak- Lanka important partners in enhancing regional
economic integration: High Commissioner Shakeel Hussain
Wed, 2015-09-02 08:20 — editor
Colombo, 02 September, (Asiantribune.com):
The High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri
Lanka Maj. Gen. (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain
said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka are
important partners not only in promoting
bilateral trade and economic interactions but
also enhancing regional economic
integration through SAARC and
SAFTA.Shakeel Hussain addressing the
Forum.High Commissioner Shakeel Hussain
said this while addressing the Sri Lanka-
Pakistan Trade and Investment Forum
organized by the Federation of Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka in
collaboration with Pakistan Sri Lanka
Business Council of Karachi, in Colombo
last evening.The High Commissioner
highlighted that the Government of Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif attaches great
importance to regional economic integration
through revitalization of SAARC which
epitomizes the hopes and aspirations of the
peoples of our region, for peace, progress
and prosperity.The panelWhile explaining
the strategic location of Pakistan at the
confluence of South Asia, West Asia and
Central Asia, he said that Pakistan is a
natural economic corridor for the region. He
highlighted that the Government of Pakistan
is actively pursuing the initiative of the
Economic Corridor which has the potential
to integrate South Asia, China, and Central
Asia which are three engines of growth in
Asia. He added that building TAPI gas
pipeline and CASA.1000 electricity
transmission line are the two most
significant projects under Pakistan‘s
initiative to promote regional

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connectivity.On Pakistan Sri Lankan bilateral trade, Shakeel Hussain elaborated that despite
availability of tariff concessions on more than 4000 tariff lines on both sides, bilateral trade is
still taking place on a very narrow band of products with very little diversification. He urged the
private sectors of the two countries to forge deeper links by becoming part of bilateral supply
chains. He also invited Sri Lankan companies to invest in Pakistan‘s energy, construction and
resort development sectors.
He underscored that during visit of Maithripala Sirisena to Pakistan in April 2015, the leadership
of Pakistan and Sri Lanka decided to enhance the bilateral trade to US $ 1 billion. He added that
Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Forum is an important milestone in achieving this goal
in the shortest possible time.
The Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Forum were also addressed by Mr. Upul
Jayasuriya, Chairman Board of Investment Sri Lanka, Ms. Sonali Wijeratne, Director General
Commerce, Mr. Rohitha Thilakaratne, Presidents of Sri Lanka-Pakistan Business Council
Colombo and Mr. Imran Khalil from Karachi chapters amongst other. The inaugural session was
followed by a question and answer session during which the participants asked questions about
the investment regulations in Sri Lanka.High Commissioner Shakeel Hussain speaking on the
occassion.j
A 20-member business delegation from Pakistan led by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of
Commerce and Industry is currently visiting Sri Lanka to participate in Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade
and Investment Forum and to meet Lankan business community with the aim to enhance bilateral
trade and investment relations between the two brotherly countries.
The delegation includes representatives from different sectors like textiles, basmati rice,
engineering goods, fruits, food stuff, mineral products, debt and equity, machinery equipment,
cotton yarn, woven fabric iron, steel, pharmaceutical products, rags, carpets industry, shoes,
leather products, denim fabric and garments, leather garments, electronics and surgical items,
petroleum, sugar, cement and automobile industry.In a separate development, the business
delegation visited the High Commission of Pakistan in Colombo for an interactive session.
– WWW.ASIANTRIBUNE.COM
China's polluted farmland threatens rice production
Photo: The Straits Times
BANGKOK - Rising demand and constraints on production capacity caused by pollution and
industrialization are likely to push up rice prices in China, with knock-on effects on the global
market, expert observers and Southeast Asian rice traders are predicting.The London-based
International Grains Council, which closely monitors the global rice market, estimates that Chinese
production will increase by 0.7 per cent to 145.6 million metric tons in 2016, from 144.6 million tons
in 2015, continuing the upward trend of recent years.

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But consumption is growing faster as China's population continues to rise, forcing Beijing to import
supplies to meet demand. The IGC forecasts that imports will reach 4 million metric tons in 2015,
compared to just 0.5 million metric tons in 2007. Some observers say that up to 5 million metric tons
of rice a year is also being smuggled across China's borders, sometimes with the connivance of state
officials.China is trying to boost rice-growing productivity by introducing hybrid brands that provide
higher yields and better quality. But many experts say the farm sector may be unable to keep pace
with demand in the face of the rapid conversion of farmland to industrial use, along with soil
pollution and shortages of water.
"As China urbanizes, and its economy shifts from agriculture to industry-based development, it faces
great challenges in managing its natural resource base," the UN Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific, known as Unescap, said in an August report.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/chinas-polluted-farmland-threatens-rice-
production#sthash.NrjYgn9I.dpuf
The journey of Vietnamese rice
The Mekong Delta had experienced a hard process since the 19th
century to turn a salt-marsh and wild region into the rice granary
of Vietnam with over 3.8 million hectares of agricultural land and
annual rice output exceeding 20 million tons now.After
spontaneous emigrations and wars, Lord Nguyen Phuc Anh
unified the country and found the Nguyen Dynast in 1802 when
the region began to stabilize and develop. A year later, the court
promulgated the law heavily punishing those who left their land
fallow.Rice harvest in a large-scale paddy field in the Mekong
Delta (Photo: SGGP)
Nguyen kings continued carrying out lords‘ policy in 1807 to encourage reclamation, establish
villages and provide villagers with rice and financial assistance to produce and settle. Settlers
and good rice growers were exempt from serving in the army, lags with good labor performance
received remission.Irrigation began to develop in combination with traffic and national defense
in 1699 when Le Thanh Hau Nguyen Huu Canh, general of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu, commanded
troops to conquest mutineers in Chenla, who usurped the throne and trespassed on Dai Viet‘s
land to loot, and help Chenla king back to the throne.
The troops built canals to take corvettes from Tien River to Hau River such as Ong Chuong
canal in An Giang province and Vam Nao canal.Till the time of Kings Gia Long and Minh
Mang, other historic irrigation works were constructed like Thoai Ha and Vinh Te canals in An
Giang.After invading Vietnam, the French colonialists continued broadening the irrigation
system and developed agricultural production with science and technology advances and
mechanization.

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In 1880-1890, they used machines to dig 2.1 million cubic meter of land to build canals and
increased farming land by 169,000 hectares compared to that under the Nguyen Dynasty.
Thence, they continued digging million of cubic meters of irrigation land a year, taking the total
number to 200 million cubic meters in 1880-1930. Besides, they forced local people to manually
build many other irrigation works.These have basically formed the main canal system for the
region as present and expanded production land to over 2.4 million hectares, which was only
319,000 hectares in the entire southern region in 1879. Average rice export output jumped from
360,000 tons per year to 1,454,000 tons in 1925-1929. Rice export tax sometimes reached XPF4
million (US$38,000) in 1875-1884.
After the country was unified in 1975, agricultural production was always far behind targets
because of policy problems. Sometimes, farmers in the Mekong Delta must eat rice mixed with
cassava and sorghum although they were living in the country‘s rice granary.
Breakthrough
The 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1986 put forward two
programs to implement the country‘s overall reforms including ‗food program‘ and ‗export
program,‘ making great contributions to the Mekong Delta‘s rice production industry.From an
underfed nation, Vietnam was able to ensure domestic food security and began attending in the
world rice export market three years after renovation.According to the Cultivation Department
under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Mekong Delta has increased the
area of winter spring rice crop by eight times and summer autumn rice by 4.3 times for the last
two decades.
The region has gradually lifted the number of crops to two then three a year from only one in
1976 to meet food security and contribute to exports.Rice cultivation area has been stable for the
last five years with 3.85 million hectares, creating jobs and high income for 1.46 million
households, who accounts for 73.5 percent of total farming households in the Mekong
Delta.Cultivating or not cultivating the third crop annually--summer winter--has been a
controversial topic of scientists and managers because diseases usually outbreak at that time.
However the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has decided to take it into three
main crops every year.
Rice productivity in the Mekong Delta has increased 4.4 percent and output hiked 9.3 percent a
year since 1980. Irrigation investment and farmers‘ creativeness raised average productivity
from 3.30 tons per hectare in 1990 to 5.38 tons in 2009 with yearly average output of over 20
million tons, making Vietnam among the world‘s top rice exporters.Technology advances and
mechanization have been applied to create new rice varieties with better resistance ability against
diseases and climate change, farming methods, harvest, preservation and processing.Large-scale
paddy field modal, part of the Government‘s agricultural restructuring program, has brought
initial successes creating stable consumption sources and improving farmers‘ income.

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Renovation and development achievements have affirmed the value and strength of rice, a
national mainstay product, in the Mekong Delta.
By Tran Minh Truong – Translated by Hai Mien
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2015/9/115171/
Rice exporters demand bailout package
September 02, 2015
LAHORE
Around 0.5 million ton stock of rice is lying only with Punjab and the government will have to announce
bailout package for the export of this huge stock otherwise country may lose export market of more than
$2 billion to neighboring country. The price of super basmati which was Rs2600 per 40kg in 2013-14 has

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dropped to Rs1300 per 40kg in 2014-15 and it is projected to go further down. Many farmers have
refused to sow rice in the next season due to low price, putting future of industry and agriculture at stake.
Pakistan (mainly Punjab) produces basmati rice of around 2.3 million tons annually, out of which 0.6-0.7
million ton is exported and 1 million tons is used in domestic market. Rest of 0.3-0.4 million tons of
basmati rice is piling up every year and for the last many years. The TCP has announced that it is not in
the position to buy this stock of extra rice. The only solution to dispose of this stock is to announce a
bailout package including $200 per ton rebate for rice export and Rs1800 per 40kg support price for rice
growers for next crop.These views were expressed by the Basmati Rice Growers Association Chairman
Hamid Malhi while talking to The Nation.
He said that Pakistan exports over $2 billion of rice, the second largest exports after textiles, but it is
losing export markets since last two years putting one thousand rice mills into serious problems. He said
that Pakistan is fourth largest exporter of rice and millions of jobs are linked to that critical sector which
merits full attention of the policy makers. Rice sector experts said that situation is turning against Pakistan
and in favour of India which has introduced its own brand lacking aroma but increased in length. Indian
rice is cheaper due to hidden subsidies which has resulting in lost Iranian and Middle Eastern markets, he
informed. They said that some 3,000 rice mills are facing problems while those 1,000 are on the brink that
have failed to sell rice in last two years.
President of Pakistan Rice Mills Association Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch said that mills facing closure
are located in Jhang, Chiniot and layya while 3.5 lakh bags are lying in only one district since two years.
These mills are unable to pay loans resulting in increased interest. He said that government agencies
should buy rice from millers to export them, their mark-up should be waived off and it should be declared
sick industry otherwise this important sector would crumble.He said that the Pakistan Rice Mills
Association has also held protest nationwide to draw attention of the authorities to the plight of collapsing
sector linked to thousands of jobs and $2 billion of annual export but of no use.
He said that authorities have turned a deaf ear to the plight of this sector as they are focused on welfare of
exporters only putting interests of planters and growers on the back burner. He said that exporters are not
cooperating with millers to cope with the problem while government is ignoring the critical issue.―The
mills are unable to sell their rice. Several of them had purchased the rice using loans from banks at high
mark-up rates.
They now face financial ruin,‖ he said.―The future of thousands of rice mills workers and their families is
also at stake as owners have no money to pay their wages,‖ he said.He suggested the government to
purchase the rice on its own or through PASSCO. ―If this is not possible, the government should provide
us substantial subsidy to save us from going bankrupt,‖ he said. ―The government should also waive off
bank interest on loans obtained by rice mill owners. Otherwise, we will not be able to buy rice at the next
harvest,‖ he said.
http://nation.com.pk/business/02-Sep-2015/rice-exporters-demand-bailout-package

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Iran to lift ban on rice import from Pakistan
Jawwad Rizvi
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
From Print Edition
LAHORE: Iran has agreed to lift ban on rice import from Pakistan against the backdrop of
gradual removal of international sanctions and the rice export will restart from October 2015.
The decision was taken in a high level meeting with Iranian government department including
General Trading Corporation of Iran, ministry of agriculture, livestock department, minister for
industries Iran, minister of economic affairs and finance with a Pakistani delegation.Pakistani
delegation is currently in Iran to finalise the modalities of the revival of rice export from Pakistan
to Iran. The delegation is visiting on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
while Punjab Board of Investment and Trade in consultation with the Iranian Consulate in
Lahore coordinated this three-day visit.
Pakistani delegation is led by provincial Food Minister Bilal Yasin along with Farrukh Javed,
minister for agriculture, Muhammad Anjum, director general Agriculture Extension, Abdul
Basit, chairman PBIT, Nasim Sadiq, secretary livestock and industries confirmed that the rice
export will start from October.Purpose of the delegation‘s visit is to plan for the upcoming chief
minister‘s visit to Iran. After rice, it has also agreed with the General Trading Corporation of Iran
that other goods should be imported from Pakistan. This has also decided that trade route should
be developed from which both the countries would benefit and the illegal trade of goods should
be eliminated.
Earlier, in November 2014 a 19-member Iranian Rice Importers Association delegation visited
Lahore in which they visited different rice mills, farms and laboratories in perspective of Pak-
Iran mutual rice trade business.Iran is the one of the largest rice importer of the world, as it
imports around 11 percent of the world rice worth $2.5 billion.According to the International
Trade Centre, the demand for rice in Iran has doubled during 2012-13 and in the last five years,
import of rice grew more than 35 percent. Hence, there exists a huge opportunity for the
exporters of Pakistani rice.Pakistan is the fourth largest exporter of rice in the world with exports
of more than $2 billion. Before imposition of sanctions on Iran, Pakistan was the largest exporter
of rice to Iran which it has lost to India.
Currently, almost 90 percent of rice is from India although import from Pakistan is more
economical.India has captured this market as no sanctions were imposed on it by the US under
the head of food versus oil programme. Under the programme, India can export food grains and
medical supplies to Iran in exchange of oil purchase. However, Pakistan‘s trade was routing
through Bank of New York, which was suspended by the US. Hence, Pakistan was deprived of
its niche rice market of Iran which resulted in crashing of local rice price and paddy growers
incurred huge losses in their crops.

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Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) former chairman Sami Ch welcomed Iranian
government decision of lifting import ban from Pakistan‘s rice.However, he believed that the
decision will remain ineffective until proper currency transfer arrangement with Bank of New
York will not restore. ―Only effective, efficient and reliable formal banking channel of currency
transfer is vital,‖ he added. He said the visiting delegation should consult with stakeholders
before going to Iran on revival of rice export from Pakistan. ―Outcome of the meeting could be
more effective and could be smoother if the stakeholders were consulted,‖ he observed.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-337786-Iran-to-lift-ban-on-rice-import-from-Pakistan
Rice farmer grows crop with 60% less water, awarded
Adarsh Jain,TNN | Sep 2, 2015, 09.29 AM IST
COIMBATORE: The Indian Rice Research Institute, Hyderabad, has awarded a farmer from Dharapuram
for adopting drip irrigation system in rice cultivation, thereby reducing water consumption by
60%. Parthasarathy M, 69, received the Innovative Rice Farmer Award on August 29. In all, 30 farmers
from sixteen states were nominated for this award.Parthasarathy bagged the award for largescale adoption
of drip irrigation for rice cultivation in Amaravathy sub-basin in Tamil Nadu. The award was presented to
his son during the Innovative Rice Farmers meet 2015 on August 29 at Indian Institute of Rice Research,
Hyderabad, by the Union minister for labour and employment, Bandara Dattatreya.
Parthsarathy has been cultivating rice for 50 years. "In 2013, I was in Coimbatore for an agri fair in
Codissia Complex. There I was introduced to the drip irrigation technology. I immediately went to Tamil
Nadu Agricultural University and was given a demo. I first adopted it for vegetables and then for growing
maize. And, in 2014, I used the technology for rice," he said. The farmer, who draws water from the
Amaravathi Dam, had installed drip irrigation to water trees in his farm in the 1980s. "But, I came to
know about the use of this technology in rice only in 2014," he said.
Parthasarathy said that he not only saved 60% water, but he also saw an increase in yield. "On an average,
the yield was five tonnes per acre after I adopted drip irrigation, which was a 20% increase from the yield
in 2013," said Parthasarathy.
What's unique about Parthasarathy's achievement is that he used drip irrigation and crop rotation together.
He cultivated onion, maize and rice in rotation. "This has helped improve his yield and save water
consumption," said director of water technology department, B J Pandian. Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University started research on the possibility of using drip irrigation for the cultivation of rice in 2010. "In
2012, we succeeded in cultivating rice through this technology. The state government also provides
subsidy to farmers using drip irrigation," he added. Parthsarathy said that he spent 40,000/acre after
receiving subsidy from the government. He received 73,000 per hectare as subsidy for installing drip
irrigation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Rice-farmer-grows-crop-with-60-less-water-
awarded/articleshow/48767890.cms

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FAS Tour with Foreign Agricultural Attachés Visit
Arkansas and Louisiana
Dow Brantley
Dow Brantley (third from right) speaks to attachés about rice production in Arkansas
ROGERS, ARKANSAS- Foreign agricultural attachés arrived here on Sunday as part of a tour organized
by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The group is visiting Arkansas and Louisiana this
week, and will depart from New Orleans on Saturday. FAS worked with the Arkansas Department of
Agriculture and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to develop the agenda. The
twenty-eight attachés participating in the tour represent the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle
East, and Oceania. The goal of the tour is to provide a firsthand look at U.S. agriculture in Arkansas and
Louisiana, and an opportunity to learn more about topics such as production, marketing, international
trade, rice, poultry, soybeans, specialty crops, sugar, forestry products, cooperatives, agricultural research,
agricultural development, port operations, and cold storage.

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The tour is making stops at many important spots including: Riceland Foods, Producers Rice Mill, Dow
Brantley's farm, and the Dale Bumpers Rice Research Station in Arkansas; and in Louisiana the Angelina
Ag Company, a 65,000 acre plantation that produces rice, corn, soybeans, cotton, grain sorghum, popcorn
and oats, and the LSU Ag Center.Since 1986, FAS has organized an annual orientation tour for the
foreign agricultural attachés based in Washington. The tours are an effective goodwill building tool to
help advance U.S. agricultural goals and interests.
Contact: Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474
Rice Foundation Accepting Applications for 2016
Leadership Development Program Leadership Class
Look for this photo on the website and you'll find the application!
STUTTGART, AR - The Rice Foundation is accepting applications for the 2016 Rice Leadership
Development Program. Rice producers or industry-related professionals between the ages of 25 and 45
are eligible to apply for the program. The application deadline is October 3. The Rice Leadership
Development Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on
personal development and communication skills. During a two-year period, class members attend four
one-week sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills through studies of all aspects of the rice
industry.

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The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a
committee of agribusiness leaders. The committee evaluates the applications of all candidates, reviews
letters of recommendation and conducts personal interviews with the finalists. nterviews will be
conducted at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in December.
The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company
through The Rice Foundation and managed by USA Rice. For additional information on the program or
for an application form, visit usarice.com and click the "Read More" button on the sliding panel featuring
the Leadership Program Applications.
Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541
CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
WASHINGTON, DC ---The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit
Corporationtoday announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough
rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG)
and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2015 crop, which will become
effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Rough rice prices decreased $0.07 per cwt for
long grain and $0.08 per cwt for medium/short grain.
World Price
MLG/LDP
Rate
Milled
Value
($/cwt)
Rough
($/cwt)
Rough
($/cwt)
Long Grain 14.45 9.12 0.00
Medium/Short
Grain
13.95 9.36 0.00
Brokens 8.72 ---- ----
This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the
following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:

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U.S. Milling Yields
Whole/Broken
(lbs/cwt)
Loan Rate
($/cwt)
Long Grain 55.01/13.46 6.50
Medium/Short Grain 61.81/8.43 6.50
The next program announcement is scheduled for September 9, 2015.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 2
Month Price Net Change
September 2015 $11.690 + $0.095
November 2015 $11.955 + $0.090
January 2016 $12.245 + $0.085
March 2016 $12.495 + $0.075
May 2016 $12.730 + $0.065
July 2016 $12.900 + $0.050
September 2016 $11.995 + $0.060

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Bill Gates is betting on a genetically modified strain of rice
that can survive floods
Drake Baer
Sep. 2, 2015, 9:37 AM
In a blog post on Tuesday, Bill Gates detailed how the world's poorest farmers are going to
be the hardest hit by climate change. "Rising temperatures in the decades ahead will lead to
major disruptions in agriculture, particularly in tropical zones," he says in the post. "Crops
won't grow because of too little rain or too much rain. Pests will thrive in the warmer
climate and destroy crops."It's a crucial time, too; Gates reports that by 2050, the global demand for
food will increase by 60%. But some very clever innovations are already helping farmers in poor
countries adapt to these changes, like using satellite mapping to pinpoint the most fertile places to
plant in or high-impact nonprofit groups like One Acre Fund.
Then there's the good that some clever genetic modification can
do. The Gates Foundation has aided in the distribution of "scuba
rice," which can withstand floods that would otherwise destroy
crops."The rice farmers I met in Bihar, for instance, are now
growing a new variety of flood-tolerant rice—nicknamed 'scuba'
rice—that can survive two weeks underwater," Gates says. "If
shifts in the weather pattern bring more flooding to their region,
they are already prepared for it."Today, the scuba rice is grown
in over 600,000 hectares worldwide, in countries
including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos, the Philippines, and
Indonesia.Gates Foundation deputy director Sara Boettiger
explained to Tech Insider what makes it so effective.
"When normal rice varieties are completely submerged by a flood, their stems grow quickly to try to
get some leaves out of the water," she said in an email. "If flood-waters are deep and remain so for a
couple of weeks, this kind of growth can exhaust the plants' energy reserves, killing it. 'Scuba' rice
differs from normal rice in that it doesn‘t elongate, growing tall and spindly and wasting energy
when submerged, but rather it goes dormant under the water, waiting out the flood for as long as two
weeks or more."The resilient variety came into the world thanks to researchers at the University of
California, Davis, the University of California, Riverside, and the International Rice Research
Institute, headquartered in the Phillipines.
They found three genes were responsible for the "elongation" process that caused the rice to exhaust
its energy under flood waters."During the time it's under water, ethylene naturally builds up in the
plant tissues and that kicks off (through these genes) the plant‘s response to try to grow taller and
more quickly to get out of the water," Boettiger said. "In the rice varieties identified as flood-tolerant,
though, one of these genes didn‘t work. Without that one gene, the plant couldn‘t respond to the
ethylene build up, and it stayed dormant, waiting out the flood."

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Amazing, right?
Boettiger says that with funding from the Gates Foundation, the International Rice Research Institute
has helped transfer the "scuba" trait into rice varities grown in flood-prone places across Asia and
Africa. Watch Gates explain how climate change affects the poorest farmers below.
http://www.techinsider.io/bill-gates-is-pouring-money-into-scuba-rice-2015-9#ixzz3lqhwP3iU
Helping Rice And Tomato Plants Take The Heat
The receptor-like kinase ERECTA could help improve the heat resistance of key commercial crops such
as rice and tomatoes. Asian Scientist Newsroom | September 3, 2015 | In the Lab AsianScientist (Sep. 3,
2015) - Scientists have identified a region of the genome that allows plants to resist temperatures as high
as 40°C. This quantitative trait locus (QTL)—called qHat2-1—also confers disease resistance to
pathogens. The study documenting these findings has been published in Nature Biotechnology. Global
warming has greatly affected our environment, and temperature increases significantly affect plant growth
and seriously threaten crop production. For example, the heat wave of the 2013 summer in Eastern China
had a devastating impact on crops.
Despite the urgent need for thermotolerant plants, genetic engineering to enhance plant tolerance to high
temperature conditions has been rarely reported. Therefore, discovery and application of more
thermotolerance genes are critical to heat resistance in crops. Dr. He Zhuhua and colleagues from the
Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a QTL gene that encodes for the receptor-like kinase ERECTA
(ER), which confers temperature tolerant properties to crops. In particular, they observed that the loss-of-

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function ER mutants exhibit hypersensitivity to heat, whereas ER overexpression confers high
thermotolerance in the model plant Arabidopsis. They further established that ER could prevent heat-
induced cell damage likely through activating a cell protection pathway. Field tests at multiple locations
and seasons gave evidence that ER overexpression could enhance heat tolerance of transgenic tomato and
rice during the summer. Moreover, they found that loss-of-function mutation of a rice ER homolog or
low-expressed tomato ER alleles decreased thermotolerance, whereas highly-expressed tomato ER alleles
increased thermotolerance.
Importantly, ER-overexpressing transgenic plants display increased biomass, enhanced water use
efficiency and drought tolerance, favoring agronomy. This study thus reveals a promising tool for
breeding crops with high thermotolerance without sacrificing crop yield. The article can be found at: Shen
et al. (2015) Overexpression of Receptor-Like Kinase ERECTA Improves Thermotolerance in Rice and
Tomato. ——— Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Photo: olly301/Flickr/CC. Disclaimer: This
article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff. Tags: China, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Genetics, Plants, Rice, Tomatoes Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/09/in-the-lab/cas-erecta-qtl-rice-tomato/
In Bengal, a rice economy rots away on food habits, subsidy
Mill closures swell bank NPAs
Namrata Acharya | Kolkata September 1, 2015 Last Updated at 22:35 IST
The closure of 500 of 1,200 rice mills in West Bengal over two years is weighing heavy on the
non-performing loans of banks. Changing food habits, rising food subsidy and falling exports
have brought the rice economy in Bengal, the highest rice producing state in the country, to the
verge of a crisis.With the size of loans of rice mills between Rs 4 crore and Rs 15 crore, and
around 200-250 accounts turning into NPAs in the past few months, the amount of NPA addition
could be between Rs 800 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, according to DN Mondol, president of the
Bengal Rice Mills Association.―The market for rice in West Bengal is shrinking, and there is no
upgradation in technology. The parboiled rice produced in Bengal was in high demand in eastern
India, Bangladesh and Africa.
However, Bangladesh has attained self-sufficiency in rice, leading to a shrinkage of exports.
Due to lifestyle changes, the consumption of rice is also going down. The mills have also
complained about delays in payment for levy rice,‖ said the manager of apublic sector bank in
Burdwan district.West Bengal produces 15 million tonnes of rice every year, mostly rice that has
been partially boiled in the husk. Of this, the state government procures 2.2 million tonnes
through the levy mechanism.Ever since the Trinamool Congress government came to power, the
procurement has more than doubled from around one million tonnes. Much of this owes to the
state government‘s scheme for providing 35 kg of rice per month at Rs 2 a kg in the Naxal-
affected blocks of the state.
Under the levy mechanism, mills last year procured paddy at around Rs 1,310 a quintal, while
the government bought rice from the mills at Rs 2,060 a quintal. The effective cost for mills for
buying a quintal of rice works out to Rs 2,046 because a quintal of paddy yields 64 kg of

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17
rice.However, the profit of Rs 14 per quintal turns into a loss of over Rs 50, when the cost of
milling and transport is added. According to mill owners, against the Rs 80 per quintal cost of
milling, the government provides only Rs 25 per quintal.The market price of paddy, on the other
hand, is lower than the government procurement price. At present the market price of rice is Rs
1,700-1,800 per quintal. Moreover, earlier, around three million tonnes of rice from West Bengal
was exported annually to Bangladesh.
This has come down to nearly 700,000 tonnes.The demand for parboiled rice has also declined
substantially as rising income has led the demand shift to better quality rice. In the rural market,
the key market for parboiled rice, demand for non-PDS rice has shrunk because of government
subsidy schemes.Data from the NSSO survey on household consumption suggests between
2004-05 and 2011-12, the monthly per capita consumption of rice in urban areas declined from
6.77 kg to 6.24 kg. The monthly per capita consumption of PDS rice in rural areas increased
from 0.61 kg in 2004-05 to 0.95 kg in 2011-12. But the monthly per capita demand for rice from
non-PDS sources in rural areas decreased from 9.08 kg to 8.97 kg.
The trend is not restricted to West Bengal, as per capita monthly rice consumption in rural India
declined to 5.98 kg in 2011-12 from 6.38 kg in 2004-05. In urban India, the fall in rice
consumption was 0.2 kg per person per month. Per capita consumption of PDS rice has,
however, doubled in rural India and risen by 66 per cent in urban India since 2004-05, implying
the share of PDS purchases in rice consumption has risen substantially, according to the NSSO.
BUSINESS STANDARD
Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
By Hertfordshire Mercury | Posted: September 02, 2015
Lobster bisque
VIEW LLERY
I expected trouble. And I was right.The delightful Radcliffe Arms, in Hitchin, does not have a
solitary burger of any description on its dinner menu.Not that I would have expected one. This is
a wonderful gastropub, with a small, but perfectly formed, menu which had me salivating from
the first glance.But, my dining companion, as we have learned, is a burger freak.Never one to
step outside her comfort zone, she hones in on a menu looking for anything that comes
sandwiched between two pieces of bread.But the Radcliffe Arms had nothing even vaguely
resembling a burger. She even called for the bar menu to see if one was hidden away from the
fine diners. But nothing.Fearing I was going to have a toddler-type tantrum on my hands, I went
through the menu with her, trying to highlight the things she might be tempted to try.There was
lamb and duck and steak . . . I even pointed out that a steak was like having a burger but without
the bread. But she was having none of it.I decided to adopt the policy that works for parents
dealing with the terrible twos and simply ignore her.
I had already made my choice – although I admit it wasn't easy. This is a gastropub that caters
for all my needs and food loves.I would happily have had any combination of dishes, but in the

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end I went for a lobster bisque for starters.Apparently, the Radcliffe had had a lobster event the
previous night and had used the extra lobsters to add to the specials board.My only previous
experience with lobster had involved racing them across a deck in a Long Island yard before
plunging them, screaming, into hot water. It had been an emotional time.But as I hadn't had the
opportunity of bonding with my lobster this time, I was able to sit back and enjoy it.Meanwhile,
my dinner guest had made a decision. Duck – with chips!
The confit of duck leg and a spring roll of braised duck was supposed to be accompanied by
sweet potato mash, but chips go with everything, right?
And after all her moaning and foot-stamping, not only did she enjoy it, but she kept talking about
it for days afterwards, to anyone who would listen.I'd decided on the fillet of sea bass steamed en
papillote. It was the first time I had eaten anything cooked in paper and I wasn't sure what the
correct dining etiquette was. Are you supposed to remove the paper? I decided to just unwrap the
fish and tip in my braised basmati rice, peas, shrimps and baby carrots – which I guess was a
posh version of eating fish from a newspaper.The Radcliffe is very popular and it isn't difficult to
see why. Relaxing before dessert, I realised that it felt like I was sitting in someone's living
room. The decor – the flamingo wallpaper is amazing – is very similar to what you'd see in
someone's house and the dining room felt very laid-back.
There's also a conservatory area and I'm guessing that is even more relaxed.When it came to
dessert, I'd left the best until last – and that was saying something as every mouthful I'd had had
been divine.Strawberry and balsamic crème brulee with a black pepper tuile ticked all the boxes,

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especially when it came to that satisfying crunch of caramel on the top.There was no stopping
my dining companion now as she enjoyed a peach and apricot cheesecake.I think it's fair to say
the Radcliffe had been forgiven!
http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Restaurant-Spy-visits-Radcliffe-Arms-Hitchin/story-27723161-
detail/story.html#ixzz3lqlXHloO
September marks 25th annual Arkansas Rice Month
Sep 1, 2015The Arkansas Rice Federation | Delta Farm Press
September marks the twenty-fifth annual Rice Month in Arkansas. The Arkansas Rice Council
will hold events throughout the month to help promote the top rice-producing state and support
local agriculture. The rice industry will also donate over 100,000 pounds of rice to the Arkansas
Rice Depot to help feed hungry Arkansans.Thanks to a new partnership with the Department of
Education to raise awareness in the top rice-producing state. Students enrolled in Future Farmers
of America or Family and Consumer Sciences classes are eligible to win $500 towards their
national convention by participating in the "30 tweets for #ArkansasRiceMonth" contest. Contest
details as well as a list of tweets are available by visiting arkansasricemonth.com.
The Rice Council has also partnered with Charlie Southern, a Southern apparel brand based in
Fayetteville, Ark., to create a rice t-shirt and promote local agriculture among a younger crowd.
"Young people are vital to the rice industry," says Steve Orlicek, Arkansas Rice Council
President. "They are our future growers and consumers with the capacity to communicate and
advocate for rice in a way that cannot be overlooked."All Arkansans can participate in the
Twitter contest for a chance to win $500.The Arkansas Rice Council recently partnered with
Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service to crown Lynnsey
Bowler of McCrory as 2015 Miss Arkansas Rice. Each year, counties select a Miss Rice to
promote rice in their county and to compete for the state title.
"Growing up in rice country, I take pride supporting a locally grown product." Bowler said. "In
order to continue feeding a growing population, we have to recognize this industry and the
farmers that produce our food supply." A McCrory native, Bowler is the first Woodruff County
Queen to win the state title.Governor Hutchinson will formally proclaim September as Rice
Month at the State Capitol on September 21. The proclamation states that "Rice production,
processing, merchandizing and related industries are vital to economic activity in Arkansas."
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/september-marks-25th-annual-arkansas-rice-
month?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+September+2%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%
2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
India's monsoon rains seen falling short of previous forecast
NEW DELHI | BY MAYANK BHARDWAJ

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Commuters use an umbrella to protect themselves from a heavy rain shower as they travel in a cycle
rickshaw in Chandigarh, India, July 20, 2015.
REUTERS/AJAY VERMA
India's monsoon rains are likely to be below the prior forecast of 88 percent of the long-term
average, the weather office chief said, which could make it the driest year since 2009 and worsen
rural distress by cutting farm output. The July-September rains irrigate nearly half of India's
farmlands, bringing relief to millions of poor farmers who till small plots of land to sustain their
families.
This would be the second straight year of drought- or drought-like conditions for only the fourth
time in 115 years, which is another setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi struggling to win
over political opposition to pass reforms and unshackle Asia's third-largest economy."Overall
monsoon rains will fall a notch or two below the 88 percent forecast that came out in
June," India Meteorological Department's Laxman Singh Rathore told Reuters on
Wednesday.The World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday that the current El Nino
weather phenomenon, which leads to dry weather in some parts of the world and causes floods in
other, was expected to peak between October and January and could turn into one of the
strongest on record.Rathore said the monsoon will start withdrawing from the western state of
Rajasthan this weekend and farmers could be left with too little soil moisture to sow winter
crops.
For rice grower Buddha Singh, whose crop is just starting to develop grains, patchy rains over
the past two weeks are threatening to damage his cultivation."We need showers at short
intervals, but that's not happening for the past 15-20 days," said Singh, a farmer in Delhi's
neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh. "We'll lose a lot of money."Though rainfall was scanty last
year too, a late surge delayed the retreat by about 15 days and left enough moisture for farmers to
start planting wheat and rapeseed from October.The monsoon was 88 percent of the average in
2014 and cut grains output by 4.7 percent in the crop year to June 2015. Output could fall about
3 percent this year, said D.H. Pai Panandiker, president of non-profit organization RPG
Foundation.In 2009 which saw the worst drought in nearly three decades, rains were 22 percent
below the average of 50 years since 1951. It had forced India to import large quantities of sugar.
Weak rains this year could lead to imports of cooking oil, though India has sufficient stocks of
wheat, rice and sugar.(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Louise
Heavens)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/02/us-india-monsoon-idUSKCN0R214020150902
Inflation drops in August as rice prices fall
Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com

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Published: 2015-09-02 19:17:03.0 BdST Updated: 2015-09-02 19:26:13.0 BdST
After rising for two months, the overall inflation rate in Bangladesh declined in August, thanks
to a drop in rice prices, the planning minister has said. Both food and non-food inflation have
also dropped in the second month of the 2015-16 fiscal, according to the national statistical
agency.Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal disclosed the latest figures at a press conference in Dhaka
on Wednesday.
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data, the overall inflation was down to 6.17
percent in August from 6.36 percent in July.On a point-to-point basis, food inflation dropped to
6.06 percent from the previous month‘s 6.07 percent. Non-food inflation also went down to 6.35
percent from 6.80 percent in July.In rural areas, the overall inflation decreased in August to 5.76
percent from 5.88 percent in July. In urban areas, the rate was 6.94 percent in August and 7.28
percent in July.The inflation rate had stood at 6.25 percent in June during the last financial year
and 6.19 percent in May.
Wet weekend predicted for South; rain deficit grows in
North
VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPTEMBER 2:
South India can look to some organised
rainfall during this weekend even as the
deficit over North-West and Central India has
started climbing further.
The all-important monsoon trough, the
backbone of the weather system, lay in a
shambles along the foothills of the
Himalayas.
Trough breaks up
It has broken up into two, which speaks of the
severity of the situation with rising surface
temperature in Northwest India.The parent
trough lies nestled along the foothills while
the breakaway half is left stranded in the East
of the country, its southern end dipping into East-central Bay of Bengal.Now, the tip of a trough
dipping into the warm waters of the Bay is always a potential area of ‗cyclogenesis‘ (formation
of low-pressure area) and will be watched with interest.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts initially saw possibility of a ‗low‘
developing under the benign influence of a building typhoon racing in from the Pacific.

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Poor confidence
But it is less confident of the scenario where it would need to be wary of a ‗minefield‘
developing to the east of the Philippines with explosive activity.The European Centre saw a
virtual line of fire evolving here with at least two fresh typhoons developing even as the
predecessor speeds away back towards the West-central Pacific.This east-northeast direction of
the typhoon away from Asia could snuff out hopes of the ‗low‘ in the Bay evolving to any
significant strength.
In the absence of south-easterly winds from such a ‗low,‘ the way would get cleared up further
for the dry air to fill and penetrate towards Central and adjoining East India.
Meanwhile, the India Met Department has refrained from announcing the withdrawal of the
monsoon from Northwest India, which is getting increasingly dry by the day.
Southern comfort
A western disturbance with its comparatively cooler air is seen delaying the process, though it
will not take much longer for the announcement to come.In the south, a fresh rain-driving trough
has materialised along the East Coast from Rayalaseema to Gulf of Mannar (off Sri Lanka)
across Tamil Nadu.Moisture-laden winds are blowing into the trough from around Sri Lanka into
the trough which is already bringing rainfall into parts of the peninsula.Most parts of Tamil
Nadu, Puducherry, south interior Karnataka and Kerala are forecast to receive rainfall during the
weekend.The US Climate Prediction Centre says above normal rainfall would be the theme here
during the period right until the middle of September.
(This article was published on September 2, 2015)
Rice farmer grows crop with 60% less water, awarded
Adarsh Jain,TNN | Sep 2, 2015, 09.29 AM IST
COIMBATORE: The Indian Rice Research Institute, Hyderabad, has awarded a farmer from Dharapuram
for adopting drip irrigation system in rice cultivation, thereby reducing water consumption by
60%. Parthasarathy M, 69, received the Innovative Rice Farmer Award on August 29. In all, 30 farmers
from sixteen states were nominated for this award.Parthasarathy bagged the award for largescale adoption
of drip irrigation for rice cultivation in Amaravathy sub-basin in Tamil Nadu. The award was presented to
his son during the Innovative Rice Farmers meet 2015 on August 29 at Indian Institute of Rice Research,
Hyderabad, by the Union minister for labour and employment, Bandara Dattatreya.
Parthsarathy has been cultivating rice for 50 years. "In 2013, I was in Coimbatore for an agri fair in
Codissia Complex. There I was introduced to the drip irrigation technology. I immediately went to Tamil
Nadu Agricultural University and was given a demo. I first adopted it for vegetables and then for growing
maize. And, in 2014, I used the technology for rice," he said.

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The farmer, who draws water from the Amaravathi Dam, had installed drip irrigation to water trees in his
farm in the 1980s. "But, I came to know about the use of this technology in rice only in 2014," he
said. Parthasarathy said that he not only saved 60% water, but he also saw an increase in yield. "On an
average, the yield was five tonnes per acre after I adopted drip irrigation, which was a 20% increase from
the yield in 2013," said Parthasarathy. What's unique about Parthasarathy's achievement is that he used
drip irrigation and crop rotation together. He cultivated onion, maize and rice in rotation.
"This has helped improve his yield and save water consumption," said director of water technology
department, B J Pandian. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University started research on the possibility of using
drip irrigation for the cultivation of rice in 2010. "In 2012, we succeeded in cultivating rice through this
technology. The state government also provides subsidy to farmers using drip irrigation," he
added. Parthsarathy said that he spent 40,000/acre after receiving subsidy from the government. He
received 73,000 per hectare as subsidy for installing drip irrigation.
Muse traders flout rice exports ban
By Khin Su Wai,Htin Lynn Aung | Wednesday, 02 September 2015
Despite a ban on rice exports as Myanmar struggles to recover from a nationwide flooding
disaster, traders are continuing business at the Muse border with China.
Traders handle rice at Muse border point between Myanmar and China. Furtive business has
continued despite a temporary ban on rice exports. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing / The Myanmar
Times
In early August, the Myanmar Rice Federation announced
a ban on exports for six weeks as more than 500,000 acres
of paddy flooded nationwide and more than 300,000 acres
were destroyed, sending the price of rice soaring.However,
trading has continued furtively across the Muse border in
northern Shan State, according to insiders, who say some
are transporting rice in small light trucks or even in cars,
and others are tricking authorities by disguising the rice as
other commodities. Sugar exporters claim they are able to
export rice in big trucks by masking it as sugar, because
the packaging is similar.
Rice exporter U Sai Kyaw confirmed that rice continues to be sold to China.―I am staying within
the guidelines, but if the suspension is extended, we will oppose it,‖ he said.Since the export ban
was announced, the price of every variety of rice in Muse has risen by around K1500 compared
with the Mandalay market, said traders.Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) officials told media
earlier this month that those contravening the ban on exports will face action, possibly supported
by the government.U Soe Tun, vice chair of the Myanmar Rice Federation, told The Myanmar
Times that the embargo will be lifted as planned on September 15. As a result of the ban,
Myanmar has already missed out on 200,000 tonnes of exports, he said.

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A combination of the 45-day ban and damage caused by flooding means that Myanmar will miss
its 2-million- tonne rice export target for this financial year, said U Soe Tun, adding that the
export target has been lowered to between 1 and 1.5 million tonnes.Although the floodwaters
have largely receded, in many areas it is too late to re-cultivate fields, said U Aung Than Oo,
vice president of the MRF to media on August 28.―Even if farmers are pushed to grow more rice,
we still won‘t be able to export as much as last year,‖ he said. Some regions usually produce an
early batch of rice by the end of September. This year however, most farmers in flood-hit areas
were unable to start cultivating until the end of August.
He added that varieties of beans, which are winter products, should be cultivated early to benefit
farmers.In financial year 2015, which finished at the end of March, Myanmar rice exports
reached a record 1.8 million tonnes, and the MRF signed a memorandum of understanding with
China to export more this year, as well as negotiating more exports to European markets and to
the Philippines.―We agreed to increase export volumes, but this included exemptions in case of
natural disaster, so there won‘t be a problem,‖ said U Aung Than Oo.China buys more than half
of Myanmar‘s rice, though much of the business is conducted on an informal cross-border basis.
Sales at the Muse border have fallen this year after a number of raids by custom officials on
Chinese importers.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/16269-muse-traders-flout-rice-exports-ban.html
Paddy no more favoured crop in MP
9/2/2015
Hindustan Times
Bhopal, Sept. 2 -- Crash in prices of Basmati rice and scanty rainfall in certain pockets of the
state have led to a sharp decline in paddy cultivation in Madhya Pradesh since last year, a top
official said on Tuesday. This could severely dent the state's agriculture success story.Paddy
cultivation, especially the Basmati variety in Bhopal, Raisen, Sehore, Hoshangabad and Harda
districts had contributed to the state recording the highest agricultural growth rates in the country
in the last three years.The state had registered an agricultural growth rate of 24.99% in 2013- 14.
However, data for 2014- 15 are yet to be officially released.Statistics by the agriculture
department showed that as on August 20, the net area under paddy cultivation has gone down
from 21.53 lakh hectares in the 2014 kharif season to 19.22 lakh hectares in 2015, translating to
nearly 11% less paddy sowing area."The crash in Basmati paddy prices from nearly ' 4,000 per
quintal in 2013 to ' 1,800 in 2014 and the lack of rains in eastern MP has contributed to the
decline in paddy sowing, with farmers replacing it with other crops," said Rajesh Rajora,
principal secretary in the agriculture department.Fall in Basmati prices has been blamed on
change in rules in other competing countries that are also exporters of the paddy variety.Officials
said that since Basmati is a largely export-oriented product, prices depend on "how much
competitive Indian basmati is in terms of prices in international market".
Top exporters of Basmati rice have a presence in Madhya Pradesh from where they buy paddy
produced in the state. The paddy is milled and the rice is exported to various countries.The

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demand for expor t pushed up prices of Basmati paddy resulting in a large number of farmers
shifting to Basmati paddy cultivation from regular kharif crops in the Narmada belt in the last
three years.
"Basmati paddy requires high levels of investment in the form of labour, fertilizers and
pesticides. With input prices increasing and prices of Basmati declining, farmers were left with
no choice but to reduce area under paddy," said Pervez Khan, a farmer in Bari in Raisen district.
The total area under cultivation in the ongoing kharif season has, however, increased from
122.77 lakh hectares in 2014 to 123.69 lakh hectares in 2015.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from HT Indore. For any query with respect to
this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor
athtsyndication@hindustantimes.com
http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2436315016
Single rice brand stirs the pot
Wed, 2 September 2015
Cheng Sokhorng
The Agriculture Ministry and the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) are at odds over the branding
of Cambodia‘s premium jasmine rice that would help differentiate it from similar varieties sold
by Thailand.The CRF is working on a new brand name that it hopes will help distinguish
Cambodian rice in the international market.The national rice body wants to bring all varieties of
jasmine rice under an umbrella brand name that it plans to announce at the Cambodia Rice
Forum in November.
―We have set up the market promotion executive committee for naming the quality rice as the
trademark, because so far our rice is just known as fragrant rice, because we do not have a
specific name,‖ the CRF‘s acting secretary-general Moul Sarith said.Sarith said that inconsistent
labelling of Cambodian rice among exporters was diminishing the collective strength of the rice
sector.Cambodia‘s jasmine rice can be grown from multiple varieties of seeds, including Phka
Romdeng, Phka Romeat, and the Kingdom‘s distinguished variety, Phka Rumduol – a long-
grain, aromatic type of rice and named after Cambodia‘s national flower.Phka Rumduol rice
variety has been awarded the world‘s best rice at the last three annual World Rice
Conferences.But the Ministry of Agriculture has already zeroed in on ―Cambodia Jasmine Phka
Rumduol‖ as the sole brand name for Cambodian rice.

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―I would like to urge all rice exporters to use this name from now on,‖ said Hean Vanhorn,
deputy director general at the General Department for Agriculture at the ministry.―I know some
rice exporters do not dare to use this name, but we need to change that.‖However, selecting a
brand name based only on one variety of fragrant rice would confuse buyers, said Song Saran,
CEO of Amru Rice and CRF member.He added that when buyers would test the rice they would
expect it to be Phka Rumduol, but in actuality it could be either of the other varieties used in
Cambodian farming.―We should find another name that can cover all the three kinds of rice
seeds‖ he explained.―If we use this name, it could be confusing and complicate things with the
buyer,‖ Saran said. ―We need to explain the source of the rice to the buyer.
‖While he wasn‘t averse to the ministry‘s support of branding, he said the private sector should
be consulted in the process to formulate an exact specification of the kinds of rice that will come
under this overarching brand.The CRF‘s Sarith backed the notion that the ministry‘s suggestion
was too narrow in its representation of all varieties of rice and confirmed the national body
would not use ―Cambodia Jasmine Phka Rumduol‖.Regardless of the name chosen, a new label
was just the beginning, said Commerce Ministry spokesman Ken Ratha.Unique branding for
Cambodian rice will need an effective marketing drive in order to educate international buyers,
he said.―Because so far, the buyer knows it as Cambodia Jasmine rice,‖ he said.―If we create a
new name, we need to discuss the marketing and advertising strategy in order to avoid confusing
the buyer.‖
Image: A young woman pours harvested rice on to a collection pile at a paddy in Battambang province earlier this
year. Heng Chivoan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/single-rice-brand-stirs-pot
Why Bill Gates is so excited about 'scuba rice'

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by Katie Fehrenbacher
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015, 1:00 PM EDT
New robust seeds will help farmers in India and Africa adapt to the world‘s growing extreme
weather.The world‘s poorest farmers in rural areas of India and Africa will suffer the most from
the changing climate, including extreme floods and droughts. That‘s why entrepreneurs and
philanthropists like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates are starting to focus on technologies that can
help farmers in susceptible areas grow more food, using more resilient seeds, and on smaller
plots of land.On Tuesday Gates published a post on his site Gates Notes entitled: ―Who Will
Suffer the Most From Climate Change (Hint: Not You).
‖ In the piece, Gates talks about the need for new types of seeds that can be grown in areas of
flooding, drought, poor soil or salt contamination.One type of rice seed that is starting to be used
in Bihar, India can be submerged for up to two weeks. Normally, rice seeds drown soon after
flooding, but so-called ―Scuba Rice‖ has been tweaked to withstand inundations.In addition to
better seeds, Gates is also excited about satellite technology that can provide soil maps for rural
farmers, enabling farmers to plant crops that are better suited to different soil types.
Many of the new tools for these rural farmers are technologies that farmers in developed regions
have been using for years. Gates writes: ―It‘s quite common to see these farmers double or triple
their harvests and their incomes when they have access to the advances farmers in the rich world
take for granted.‖Beyond just identifying new tech solutions, it‘s a more difficult challenge to get
these technologies into the hands of the farmers. Gates gives a shout out to a non-profit group
called One Acre Fund, which works directly with farmers to increase crop yields in various new
ways, including education.
Forbes
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash
markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity
analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity
market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted
and discussed.
Soybeans
High Low
Cash Bids 893 818
New Crop 906 813

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28
Riceland Foods
Cash Bids Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - -
New Crop Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - -
Futures: High Low Last Change
Sep '15 888.50 874.25 883.75 -1.00
Nov '15 880.25 865.00 874.00 0.00
Jan '16 884.75 869.50 878.00 -0.75
Mar '16 887.00 871.25 879.00 -2.00
May '16 889.75 873.75 880.75 -3.25
Jul '16 893.75 877.50 884.25 -3.25
Aug '16 892.25 877.50 883.75 -3.25
Sep '16 879.75 877.00 872.50 -2.75
Nov '16 875.50 860.25 867.25 -3.00
Arkansas Daily Grain Report
FOB Memphis Elevator Crops
Soybean Comment
Soybeans closed lower again today. Losses were limited as declines in China were limited today.
Looming large supplies in both the U.S. and South America will continue to keep pressure on prices. New
crop soybeans remain under pressure from slow exports and with no fresh demand news today prices
failed to find anything to support higher prices.

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Wheat
High Low
Cash Bids 360 350
New Crop 491 389
Sep '15 485.75 469.25 473.00 -11.00
Dec '15 490.00 476.50 479.00 -7.25
Mar '16 493.50 483.75 486.50 -4.50
May '16 497.50 489.00 491.50 -3.50
Jul '16 500.25 494.00 496.25 -1.75
Sep '16 508.50 503.00 505.00 -1.75
Dec '16 519.50 515.75 517.75 -1.00
Mar '17 528.00 0.00
May '17 531.25 0.00
Wheat Comment
Wheat prices closed lower today. Losses remain limited as prices continue to try and establish lows.
While there remains technical support for prices, wheat needs some fundamental help before prices can
see any meaningful gains.

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Grain Sorghum
High Low
Cash Bids 364 326
New Crop 364 294
Corn
High Low
Cash Bids 358 326
New Crop 380 331
Sep '15 358.00 351.25 354.00 -2.00
Dec '15 371.50 364.25 367.50 -1.50
Mar '16 382.25 375.50 378.75 -1.50
May '16 388.50 382.00 385.50 -1.50
Jul '16 393.00 387.25 390.25 -1.25
Sep '16 386.50 382.00 384.50 -1.50
Dec '16 395.00 389.25 391.75 -1.50

All About Rice News
31
Mar '17 403.00 400.00 402.50 -1.00
May '17 410.00 410.00 408.75 -1.00
Corn Comment
Corn prices closed lower again today. Prices remain near the bottom of its recent trading range and
remains in danger of retesting contract lows. Slowing ethanol demand combined with large supplies is
adding to the bearish pressure on prices. If supplies remain robust, we could see corn prices weaken
significantly over the next couple of months.
Cotton
Oct '15 63 62.78 63.18 -0.4
Dec '15 62.8 62.11 62.49 -0.21
Mar '16 62.34 61.67 62.26 0.13
Memphis, TN Cotton and Tobacco Programs
Cotton Comment
Cotton futures were lower as bearish economic news continues to come out of China. Concerns about the
Chinese economy continue to overshadow the smaller U.S. crop for now. December futures are heading
for a retest of support at 62 cents. A close below that level would bring the contract low of 61.20 back
into play.
Rice
High Low

All About Rice News
32
Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - -
Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -
Sep '15 1165.0 1159.5 1169.0 +9.5
Nov '15 1200.0 1181.0 1195.5 +9.0
Jan '16 1229.0 1210.5 1224.5 +8.5
Mar '16 1249.5 +7.5
May '16 1273.0 +6.5
Jul '16 1290.0 +5.0
Sep '16 1195.0 1195.0 1199.5 +6.0
Rice Comment
Rice futures traded in a narrow range before closing a bit higher. The market was unable to overcome
weakness from outside markets as negative economic data continues to come out of China. Harvest
pressure will certainly pick up as well. USDA says that 26% of the crop had been harvested as of Sunday,
August 29. November found resistance at $12.25 early in the week, and support is the recent low of
$11.43 1/2.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sept 02
Nagpur, Sept 2 Gram prices reported down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing
Committee (APMC) here on lack of demand from local millers amid release of stock from
stockists.
Fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and weak trend on NCDEX also pushed down prices,
according to sources.
* * * *

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33
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram raw recovered in open market here on renewed festival season demand from
local traders amid tight supply from producing belts.
TUAR
* Tuar black showed weak tendency in open market here in absence of buyers amid
increased supply from millers.
* Moong dal chilka recovered strongly in open market on good seasonal demand from
local traders amid thin supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar - 9,700-10,100, Tuar dal - 13,800-14,100, Udid at 9,100-9,300,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 10,900-11,400, Moong - 7,600-7,800, Moong Mogar
(clean) 9,200-9,800, Gram - 4,600-4,900, Gram Super best bold - 6,100-6,300
for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading
activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,000-4,850 4,100-4,960
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 8,000-9,200
Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,400
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Desi gram Raw 5,050-5,150 5,000-5,100
Gram Filter new 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Gram Kabuli 6,400-7,500 6,400-7,500
Gram Pink 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000
Tuar Fataka Best 14,000-14,500 14,000-14,500
Tuar Fataka Medium 13,500-13,800 13,500-13,800
Tuar Dal Best Phod 12,500-13,000 12,500-13,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod 12,000-12,300 12,000-12,300
Tuar Gavarani New 10,100-10,300 10,100-10,300
Tuar Karnataka 10,300-10,600 10,300-10,600

All About Rice News
34
Tuar Black 12,100-12,400 12,200-12,500
Masoor dal best 8,200-8,700 8,200-8,700
Masoor dal medium 7,900-8,300 7,900-8,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,600-9,900 9,600-9,900
Moong Mogar Medium best 8,200-8,800 8,200-8,800
Moong dal Chilka 8,700-8,900 8,600-8,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,400-9,200 8,400-9,200
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 11,200-11,800 11,200-11,800
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 10,400-10,800 10,400-10,800
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,100-9,600 9,100-9,600
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,500 3,250-3,500
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,300 3,100-3,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,350-1,550 1,350-1,550
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,400 2,250-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,100 1,950-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,700 3,400-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,750-2,900 2,750-2,900
Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,900 1,700-1,900
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450 2,300-2,450
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800
Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,900-4,300 3,900-4,300
Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,100 4,600-5,100
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,700 5,400-5,700
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 33.5 degree Celsius (93.2 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.2 degree Celsius (73.7 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

All About Rice News
35
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum
temperature would be around and 35 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/09/02/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1182ZW20150902
APEDA Commodity India News
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 02-09-2015
Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price
Garlic
1 Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2100
2 Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2000
3 Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 1800
Ginger
1 Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 4600
2 Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 5100
3 Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3000
Guar Gum Powder
1 Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 4080
2 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 1500
Source:agra-net For more info

All About Rice News
36
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 02-09-2015
Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price
Rice
1 Vadodara (Gujarat) Other 2650 3300
2 Dhekiajuli (Assam) Other 2200 2800
3 Bonai (Orissa) Other 2200 2400
Wheat
2 Bayad (Gujarat) Other 1500 1650
3 Sainthia (West Bengal) Other 1475 1500
Pine Apple
1 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 2000 2400
2 Shillong (Meghalaya) Other 2000 2400
3 Nagpur (Maharashtra) Other 1000 3600
Cabbage
1 Anchal (Kerala) Other 1600 2000
2 Bolangir (Orissa) Other 2800 3000
3 Shillong (Meghalaya) Other 1000 1300
Egg Rs per 100 No
Price on 31-08-2015

All About Rice News
37
Product Market Center Price
1 Pune 305
2 Nagapur 270
3 Hyderabad 295
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 02-09-2015
Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High
Onions Dry Package: 40 lb cartons
1 Atlanta Georgia Yellow 27 30
2 Baltimore Peru Yellow 28 28
3 Detroit Texas Yellow 27 28.50
Carrots Package: 20 1-lb film bags
1 Atlanta California Baby Peeled 19 20.75
2 Dallas Arizona Baby Peeled 16.75 17
3 Miami California Baby Peeled 17 17.50
Apples Package: cartons tray pack
1 Atlanta Washington Red Delicious 23 24
2 Dallas Washington Red Delicious 22 22
3 Detroit Washington Red Delicious 26 26.50
Source:USDA

All About Rice News
38
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 01-09-2015
Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price
Rice
1 CZCE Early Rice Futures (USD/t) 391
2 Pakistani 100%, FOB Karachi (USD/t) 318
3 Pakistani 25% Broken (USD/t) 383
Honey
1 Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3190
2 Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3410
3 Australian extra light/light amber, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 4785
Guar Gum Powder
2 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 1500
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 01-09-2015
Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price
Jowar(Sorgham)
1 Amreli (Gujarat) Other 1200 2460
2 Sangli (Maharashtra) Other 1570 2000
3 Theni (Tamil Nadu) Other 1400 1480

All About Rice News
39
Maize
1 Dhing (Assam) Other 1325 1400
2 Bayad (Gujarat) Other 1400 1500
3 Koraput (Orissa) Other 1340 1350
Mousambi
1 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 2000 3000
2 Sirsa (Haryana) Other 1500 2800
3 Haldwani (Uttrakhand) Other 2000 2500
Carrot
1 Muktsar (Punjab) Other 3000 3500
3 Rahata (Maharashtra) Other 2000 2000
Egg Rs per 100 No
Price on 31-08-2015
Product Market Center Price
1 Pune 305
2 Nagapur 270
3 Hyderabad 295
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 01-09-2015
Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High
Potatoes Package: 50 lb sacks

All About Rice News
40
1 Atlanta Colorado Yellow 22.50 23.50
2 Baltimore California Yellow 19 20
3 Detroit Mexico Yellow 25 26
Cucumbers Package: cartons film wrapped
1 Atlanta Canada Long Seedless 9 10
2 Dallas California Long Seedless 12 14
3 Miami Honduras Long Seedless 10 10
Grapefruit Package: 7/10 bushel cartons
1 Atlanta California Red 26 27
2 Dallas California Red 24 24
3 Chicago California Red 25 25
Source:USDA
Golden rice: the 'GM superfood' that fell to Earth
Golden rice was once hailed as the wonder crop that 'could save a million kids year', writes
Glenn Stone. But in the 15 years since that bold prediction, the carotene enhanced GMO
has been held back by persistent 'yield drag' and inconclusive nutrition outcomes. It now
appears unlikely ever to fulfill its early promise.
Glenn Stone
2nd September 2015
To date, the human feeding trials have only been conducted with well-nourished individuals. In one
heavily cited study, children were fed balanced meals with 20% energy from fat, demonstrating
only that Golden Rice worked in children who did not need it.
Few GM crops are discussed as much - and misunderstood as much - as 'Golden Rice'.Golden
Rice is modified to produce beta carotene in the endosperm, rather than only in the bran as in
most rice.Beta carotene is a vitamin A precursor, and the hope was that this invention would
mitigate Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), which in extreme cases can cause blindness or death in
malnourished children.After appearing on the cover as Time in 2000 as a rice that "could save a
million kids a year", Golden Rice has been a nearly ubiquitous talking point in GMO arguments.
As a high-flying GM superfood, it is without peer.But the battles over Golden Rice have been
particularly heated even by the usual standards of GMO bombast.
Critics see it as an unproven, expensive, and misguided bandaid -a Trojan Horse to open the
floodgates of GM crops into the global south (Brooks 2010:76-83; RAFI 2000).Industry
spokesmen, impassioned molecular biologists, and partisan journalists charge that children are

All About Rice News
41
being left blind by GMO critics having slowed the rice; hired activist Patrick Moore tirelessly
(and cartoonishly) blames Greenpeace - which he claims to have founded -
for "murdering" children(AllowGoldenRiceNow.org 2015).Confusingly, other biotechnologists
claim that Golden Rice is already in use and that it has"helped save many, many lives and
improved the quality of life of those who eat it" (Krock 2009; also see Thomson 2002:1). These
claims cause considerable discomfort to the scientists who are actually doing the Golden Rice
breeding (Dubock 2014:73).
Who is this rice for, exactly?
All the shouting tends to cover up a crucial issue with Golden Rice: who is it for,
exactly? Proponents usually discuss it as a vitamin tablet headed for generic underfed children
in"poor countries" (Beachy 2003), or "developing countries" (Enserink 2008), or
occasionally"Asia" (Dawe and Unnevehr 2007).But here's the problem. Golden Rice is not just a
vitamin tablet headed for malnourished kids wherever they may be. It's not a tablet at all;
it's rice, the most widely consumed and arguably the most culturally freighted crop in the
world (e.g., Ohnuki-Tierney 1993).
And it is headed specifically for the Philippines. Golden Rice got its start in the
Philippines(Enserink 2008), and it's being bred and tested in a research institution in the
Philippines, to be approved by the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry, to be sold in Philippine
markets to Philippine growers and potentially fed to Filipino children. (Breeders and researchers
in Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh are also working with Golden Rice, but release is not on the
horizon in any of these countries.)
Most discussions of Golden Rice ignore this Philippine context. Even economic analyses
purporting to calculate "The Cost of Delaying Approval of Golden Rice" (Wesseler, et al.
2014) make no mention of the Philippines.The neglect of this Philippine context is remarkable
because the Philippines is hardly just a country with vitamin A-deficient children (in fact, such
children are relatively scarce there). The country is unique with respect to rice, with a storied
history, complicated present, and contested future for the crop.
This is the country that brought us the rice half of the Green Revolution (the wheat half was
developed in Mexico); the country with famous rice terraces; the country with a resurgent trade
in 'heirloom' landrace rice; the country with the famous International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI).
And Golden Rice simply doesn't grow well in the Philippines - not yet anyway, after years of
trying. The actual rice grains on the cover of Time were not adapted to grow where underfed kids
live; they were more like the plant equivalent of lab rats. For the high-flying rice to actually be
farmed, it had to be brought down to the ground - literally.It had to be re-bred to grow in a
country where it might have an impact. The Philippines - with the world's premier rice research
station, with a full-fledged biosafety regulatory apparatus, and (at the time) a high incidence of
childhood VAD - was the obvious choice.
Long and winding road in the Philippines
Golden Rice seeds arrived at IRRI in 2001 and began the long process of being crossed into
locally-adapted varieties. By 2008, IRRI (along with the Philippine Rice Institute) was running
confined field trials of two different versions of Golden Rice bred into four rice varieties.During
2011-2013, they focused on field trials of Golden Rice bred into the Green Revolution

All About Rice News
42
workhorse rice called IR64 and also a popular variety called 'Peñaranda' (A. Alfonso, pers
comm).
But as of this writing, over 14 years after IRRI began trying to bring Golden Rice down to earth
in the Philippines, the best varieties still exhibit a 'yield drag' - i.e., lower productivity than seeds
that are identical except for the Golden Rice trait (Dubock 2014; Eisenstein 2014; IRRI
2014).That's right: contrary to claims that millions of children are dying because of Greenpeace's
opposition, Golden Rice is simply not ready, and hasn't even been submitted to regulatory
authorities for approval. IRRI is quite clear about this, as a visit to their website will show. When
I was at IRRI last month the word was that 3-5 more years of breeding would probably be
needed.
Saving millions - really?
Even if Golden Rice is brought up to speed agronomically, and even if it is approved, released,
and adopted by farmers, its goal of saving millions of lives - or even having any significant
public health impact - is probably unlikely.Nutrition programs have brought the incidence of
childhood VAD from a peak of 40% in 2003 to 15% in 2008 (Food & Nutrition Research Inst.
nd), and the incidence has almost certainly fallen more since then. Again, IRRI itself has been
transparent, acknowledging on their website that VAD is being effectively reduced without
Golden Rice(IRRI nd).
IRRI is also quite explicit that it will release Golden Rice only IF "it is found to be safe"and IF it
is "shown to improve vitamin A status" (see their website). It is not yet known if it will be
effective in raising Vitamin A levels in underfed children.Filipino children who still suffer from
VAD have poor diets lacking in the fats that are needed to absorb Vitamin A (Dawe, et al. 2002;
Haskell 2012; Nestle 2001). To date, the human feeding trials have only been conducted with
well-nourished individuals.In the heavily cited (and since retracted) study by Tang, et al. (2012),
children were fed balanced meals with 20% energy from fat; this demonstrated only that Golden
Rice worked in children who did not need it.
Golden Rice has soared as a high-flying superfood on magazine covers, the New York Times,
industry front group websites and speeches by paid activists; the problem comes from bringing it
down to earth.
Glenn Stone is Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology and Environmental Studies in Arts &
Sciences, Washington University in St Louis. He has conducted research on agricultural systems
for over 30 years, including on the spread of genetically modified crops in developing countries.
His current research projects focus on long-term dynamics of agricultural decision-making in
India, indigenous knowledge in rice production in the Philippines, and economic aspects of
alternative farming in Applachia (US). He is author of over 40 peer-reviewed articles and past
president of the Anthropology & Environment Society.
More: Glenn blogs at fieldquestions.com, where this article was originally published. More
information on his academic page.
References
 AllowGoldenRiceNow.org 2015 About.
 Beachy, Roger N. 2003 Editorial: IP Policies and Serving the Public. Science299(5606):473.
 Brooks, Sally 2010 Rice Biofortification: Lessons for Global Science and Development. London:
Earthscan.
 Dawe, D., R. Robertson, and L. Unnevehr 2002, 'Golden rice: what role could it play in alleviation of
vitamin A deficiency?' Food Policy 27(5-6):541-560.

All About Rice News
43
 Dawe, David, and Laurian Unnevehr 2007, 'Crop case study: GMO Golden Rice in Asia with
enhanced Vitamin A benefits for consumers'. AgBioForum 10(3):154-160.
 Dubock, Adrian 2014, 'The present status of Golden Rice'. Journal of Huazhong Agricultural
University 33(6):69-84.
 Eisenstein, Michael 2014, 'Biotechnology: Against the grain'. Nature 514(7524):S55-S57.
 Enserink, Martin 2008, 'Tough lessons from golden rice'. Science 320(5875):468-471.
 Food & Nutrition Research Inst. nd, 'Seventh National Nutrition Survey 2008-2009: Department of
Science and Technology' (Philippines).
 Haskell, Marjorie J 2012, 'The challenge to reach nutritional adequacy for vitamin A: β-carotene
bioavailability and conversion-evidence in humans'. The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 96(5):1193S-1203S.
 IRRI 2014, 'What is the status of the Golden Rice project coordinated by IRRI' March.
 IRRI nd, 'Why is Golden Rice needed in the Philippines since vitamin A deficiency is already
decreasing?' In IRRI website.
 Krock, Becca 2009, 'Researchers look to enriched crops to solve childhood malnutrition'.Student Life,
28 Sept.
 Nestle, Marion 2001 Genetically Engineered "Golden" Rice Unlikely to Overcome Vitamin A
Deficiency. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 101(3):289-290.
 Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko 1993. Rice as self: Japanese identities through time. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
Univ Press.
 RAFI 2000, 'Golden Rice and Trojan Trade Reps: A Case Study in the Public Sector's
Mismanagement of Intellectual Property'. RAFI Communique 66.
 Tang, Guangwen, et al. 2012, 'b-Carotene in Golden Rice is as good as b-carotene in oil at providing
vitamin A to children'. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 96:658-64 [Retracted, August 2015].
 Thomson, Jennifer A. 2002 Genes for Africa: genetically modified crops in the developing world.
Landsdowne: UCT Press.
 Wesseler, Justus, Scott Kaplan, and David Zilberman 2014, 'The Cost of Delaying Approval of
Golden Rice'. Agricultural and Resource Economics Update, Vol. 17, No. 3, Jan/Feb, 2014 17(3):1-3.
http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2985163/golden_rice_the_gm_superfoo
d_that_fell_to_earth.html

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