30,000kg unhygienic gram flour

seized
By

 Aziz Buneri

 -

November 10, 2020

109
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has seized more than
30,000kg of ‘unhealthy’ besan [Gram flour] from a factory in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, said a
statement issued on Tuesday.

According to KP FS&HFA Director General Suhail Khan, the factory was mixing ‘unhealthy’ broken rice
along with other items in the production of besan, which he said was harmful to the public health.

Khan added the factory was supplying unhealthy besan to various districts of the province.

“The factory was preparing besan in complete violation of standard operating procedures. During the
inspection, the hygiene arrangements were found to be very poor, and the factory was found to be
involved in mislabeling,” he added.

Assistant Director Farman Ali and other food safety team members of food safety officers took part in
the intelligence-based operation.

The director-general said that to ensure quality food in the province, food-related businesses were
urged to follow the basic hygiene principles in food premises. Khan said that the authority would
ensure food quality at any cost and action would be taken as per law against factory owners involved
in manufacturing substandard gram flour.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/10/30000kg-unhygienic-gram-flour-seized/

Transforming Myanmar 
BY EDITOR'S MAIL , (LAST UPDATED 19 HOURS AGO)

Myanmar has been awaiting new transition to take place through the
current election. There has been wide talk about Myanmar election in
the media circle. But the actual roadmap for peace and prosperity in
the region must be supported and accelerated by all the stakeholders
and well-wishers out there.

Sadly, Myanmar and its areas have been in the grip of many
unresolved internal issues and external factors over and over again.
Possessing beautiful geographical structure and natural resources,
this Asian nation has been topping the charts of school syllabus up till
now. Many interesting tidbits about Myanmar like natural resources,
largest rice production had all beautified our schooldays in Korkai,
Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Tiruchendur, Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu in the
early 1990s.

In this era of telecommuting worldwide, great technological advances

have not yet reached the Myanmar region calling for attention from
world leaders and philanthropists. This country and people have long
been in ruins/disintegration due to various conflicts, both ethnic and
outside.

It is time for Myanmar to turn the corner in terms of education,

economy, democracy, employment and wealth. This is not the time to
rig the election result but to create a ray of hope in the region and
among the people.

The neighbourhoods, diplomats like Aung San Suu Kyi and world
bodies like the UN should take bold steps to put Myanmar on the front
burner politically and economically.

P Senthil Saravana Durai 

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/10/transforming-myanmar/

Food authority seizes 30,000kg

‘unhealthy’ besan
BY AZIZ BUNERI , (LAST UPDATED 21 HOURS AGO)
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food
Authority has seized more than 30,000kg of ‘unhealthy’ besan [Gram
flour] from a factory in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, said a
statement issued on Tuesday.

According to KP FS&HFA Director General Suhail Khan, the factory

was mixing ‘unhealthy’ broken rice along with other unhealthy items in
the production of besan, which he said, is harmful to the public health.

Khan added the factory was supplying unhealthy besan to various

districts of the province.

“The factory was preparing besan in complete violation of standard

operating procedures. During the inspection, the hygiene
arrangements were found to be very poor, and the factory was found
to be involved in Mislabelling,” he added

Assistant Director Farman Ali and other food safety team members of
food safety officers took part in the intelligence-based operation.

The director-general said that to ensure quality food in the province,

food-related businesses were urged to follow the basic hygiene
principles in food premises. Khan said that the authority would ensure
food quality at any cost and action would be taken as per law against
the factory owners involved in manufacturing substandard besan.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/10/food-authority-seizes-30000kg-unhealthy-besan/
LARKANA: November 10 –
Farmers thrashing rice crop in a
traditional way in their field at
Bypass Road. APP photo by
Nadeem Akhtar
Tue, 10 Nov 2020, 9:12 PM
APP26-10 LARKANA: November 10 – Farmers thrashing rice crop in a traditional way in their field
at Bypass Road. APP photo by Nadeem Akhtar

APP26-10
 https://www.app.com.pk/photos-section/larkana-november-10-%C2%96-farmers-thrashing-rice-crop-
in-a-traditional-way-in-their-field-at-bypass-road-app-photo-by-nadeem-akhtar/

Thai Cabinet okays price-guarantee

scheme for rice farmers
 THAILAND
 Tuesday, 10 Nov 2020
5:31 PM MYT



BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): In response to concerns over the drop in the price of
jasmine rice due to export slowdown and limited tourism owing to the Covid-19 crisis,
the Cabinet has given the go-ahead to a rice-guarantee scheme for farmers who will
harvest their rice crop at the end of the rainy season.

Ratchada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokesperson, said on Tuesday that under

the scheme, the price per tonne of rice will be guaranteed at Bt15,000 for jasmine,
Bt14,000 for off-season jasmine, Bt10,000 for ordinary rice, Bt11,000 for Pathum Thani
rice and Bt12,000 for sticky rice.

The Cabinet has also okayed schemes to motivate farmers, cooperatives, farming
institutions as well as rice traders to stock up on rice to stabilise market prices.

The target is to stock up 7 million tonnes via projects such as:

• Delaying the sale of rice by paying a deposit of Bt1,500 per tonne with the target of 1.5
million tonnes.

• Getting farmers cooperatives to pay 1 per cent of loan interest to stock up rice. The
aim is to collect 1.5 million tonnes.

• Compensating rice merchants 3 per cent of interest with the target of stocking 4 million
tonnes.
The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry expects more rice to be produced this year
thanks to a sufficient supply of water. This may bring the domestic price of rice down,
after it has been high for the past year or two due to drought.

This reduction in price will also make it more competitive in the world market, and
should result in higher exports next year.

It is expected that bigger orders will come from Australia and African countries.

Ratchada also said the Rice Policy and Management Committee has approved the
government’s 2021-2025 strategy, which focuses on the production of rice in line with
the market demand.

Thai rice is grouped into seven types based on the needs of three markets:

• Premium market, which consumes jasmine and Thai fragrant rice;

• The general market that consumes soft white, hard white and parboiled rice; and

• Specialised markets that consumes glutinous rice, coloured rice or rice with special
features.

The committee said it wants to develop varieties that can compete with competitors in
the world market so farmers earn more. - The Nation/Asia News Network

TAGS / KEYWORDS:Thailand , Cabinet , Rice , Farmers
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2020/11/10/thai-cabinet-okays-price-
guarantee-scheme-for-rice-farmers
Paddy stocks to be
sold via Sathosa after
threshing them into
rice
Written by Zulfick Farzan    10 Nov, 2020 | 11:56 AM


Share: 
 


 


Colombo (News 1st);  The Cabinet of Minister decided to sell

the paddy stocks in the possession of the District
Secretaries/Government Agents and paddy stocks owned by
the Paddy Marketing Board through Sathosa outlets by
threshing them into rice.
 The decision was reached considering the current rice shortage in
the market and the fact owners of rice mills are unable to supply
sufficient rice stocks under the controlled price

https://www.newsfirst.lk/2020/11/10/paddy-stocks-to-be-sold-via-sathosa-after-threshing-them-into-
rice/

Physical checking at mandis as

paddy target exceeded in Punjab
Food and Supplies Department verifies stocks at rice mills that got produce on release
orders
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 Posted: Nov 10, 2020 07:17 AM (IST)

 Updated : 1 day ago
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 Food and Supplies department has also started conducting checks on rice mills, which received
paddy on release orders, to ensure the stocks of paddy purchased by these through release orders
are physically present in their stocks.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9

With paddy procurement in Punjab far exceeding the estimated

targeted, much beyond the claimed 10 per cent increase in productivity,
the Food and Supplies Department has started physical verification of
mandis where surplus paddy arrivals have been recorded in the
ongoing paddy season.

Anandita Mitra, Director, Food and Supplies

Action taken on complaints
Checks are being done following complaints that rice mills got release
orders for paddy to be bought inter or intra district, but no physical
purchase was done.

The department has also started conducting checks on rice mills, which
received paddy on release orders, to ensure the stocks of paddy
purchased by these through release orders are physically present in
their stocks.

“This has been done following complaints that rice mills got the release
orders for paddy to be bought inter or intra district, but no physical
purchase was done,” said Anandita Mitra, Director, Food and Supplies.

In the complaints received by the department, it was alleged mill

owners, in connivance with commission agents of mandis from where
they were to receive paddy on release orders, showed the purchase on
behalf of procurement agencies on paper.

While the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,888 per quintal was
alleged to have been pocketed by them, the mills got cheaper paddy (at
the rate of Rs 800-Rs 1,000 per quintal) from outside the state and
stocked it to show it as the paddy purchased through release orders.
Behind, the government was suspected to have increased the limit of
paddy to be allotted to mills under the release order scheme, between
375 metric tonne and 2,000 metric tonne.

Mitra said though they were sure it was not possible as all processes for
getting release orders were transparent and done online, upon receiving
some complaints, they immediately swung into action and started
getting physical verification of the mills done.

“The department has already verified all such rice mills in Fazilka
district and most of the mills in Sangrur. Checking of such mills in
Patiala is under way. So far, we have not found any mill where the
stocks were short,” she said, adding in a case where rice meant for the
public distribution system was found, the mill was immediately
blacklisted and FIR registered.

The Director, Food Supplies, said they were also getting checks
conducted in all mandis that had seen an unusually high arrival of
paddy. “Nineteen such mandis were examined today. We have observed
that this phenomenon is more prevalent in mandis near the Haryana
border. It is assumed Punjab farmers are not going to Haryana to sell
their produce because of the Covid guidelines, but are selling it here,”
she said.

182.98 LMT procured

 Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, says paddy production has

gone up by 10%. Agriculture dept’s initial estimate of market arrival of
paddy was 164 lakh metric tonne
 With a 10% higher productivity, the arrival should stand at 180.4 LMT.
To date, the state has procured 182.98 LMT paddy. An average of 3.50
LMT is arriving in mandis every day

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/physical-checking-at-mandis-as-paddy-target-exceeded-in-
punjab-168415

Rabi sowing crosses 100

lakh ha
Our Bureau  New Delhi | Updated on November 09, 2020  Published
on November 09, 2020
Abundant monsoon rains boost prospects; coverage of
wheat and pulses rises
Riding on good rains that the country received during the just-
concluded monsoon season and sufficient water storage in reservoirs,
farmers have planted over 100 lakh hectares (lha) till last Friday — up
18 per cent from 85 lha covered in the corresponding week last year.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Flight-PlanClean and green: Shopping for second-hand plane parts

Recycling of aircraft is a robust industry involving over 100 aviation disassembly and recycling companies
around the world. It also promotes sustainable manufacturing. Ashwini Phadnis reports

Flight-PlanThere’s more to aircraft tyres than just inflated appeal

The tyres of a plane are as important as the engine and play a big role in its safety. Here’s how
Technical-AnalysisNifty Call: Go short on a fall below 12,600

Technical-AnalysisDaily Rupee call: INR might trade sluggish

Flight-PlanClean and green: Shopping for second-hand plane parts

Recycling of aircraft is a robust industry involving over 100 aviation disassembly and recycling companies
around the world. It also promotes sustainable manufacturing. Ashwini Phadnis reports

Flight-PlanThere’s more to aircraft tyres than just inflated appeal

The tyres of a plane are as important as the engine and play a big role in its safety. Here’s how

Technical-AnalysisNifty Call: Go short on a fall below 12,600

Technical-AnalysisDaily Rupee call: INR might trade sluggish

Two crops that have witnessed significant spurt in acreage are wheat
and pulses. Madhya Pradesh accounted for almost all the increase in
wheat acreage, which stood at 17 lha as compared to less than 10 lha
in the same period last year.
Higher prices in pulses
What prompted farmers to cover more area under pulses, however,
was the prices which are ruling higher than the minimum support price
for most pulses.
Apart from Madhya Pradesh, farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
also planted more pulses so far as compared to the same week last
year. At 36 lha, the area is nearly 50 per cent more than same week
last year.
Gram has been planted on 25.10 lha as against 17.48 lha in same
period last year.
 

Oilseeds flat
Farmers have planted oilseeds in over 32.83 lha which is more or less
same as same week last year. Rapeseed-Mustard, the main rabi oilseed
crop, has been planted on 31.15 lha (31.17 lha).
So is the case with rice, which has been planted over 5.87 lha so far.
Coarse cereals, on the other hand, registered a dip in area with its
coverage at 8.85 lha (11.65 lha).
Storage levels
Meanwhile, water storage in 123 Central Water Commission-
monitored reservoirs stood at 145.66 billion cubic metres (BCM) as
against 153.79 BCM in the corresponding week last year. Though
cumulative water storage is less than last year, which had an extended
monsoon season, quite healthy as compared to the average storage
over the last 10 years.
Follow us
on Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Linkedin.
You can also download our Android App or IOS App.
Published on November 09, 2020
rabi crops

agriculture

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Rice has many fathers but only two mothers

Stock image
11 November 2020
Researchers investigating the heritage of thousands of rice varieties have identified just
two distinct maternal lineages, a discovery which could help address the issue of global
food security.

University of Queensland scientists studied more than 3000 rice genotypes and found
diversity was inherited through two maternal genomes identified in all rice varieties.

Lead researcher UQ’s Professor Robert Henry said the finding was important in
understanding how rice adapted to its environment.

“We think there were two separate domestications of virgin wild plants that diverged
around a million years ago in the wild, and then in the last 7000 thousand years human
domestication of rice has occurred,” Professor Henry said.

The two domesticated varieties interbred with the local wild rices throughout Asia.

“The wild rice has pollinated the domesticated rices planted nearby and the seed of the
domesticated variety has then incorporated the genetics of the local wild varieties,” he
said.

“The maternal lineage is preserved via the seed, and we’ve identified that because rice
farmers have and still continue to collect the seed from the field, the local varieties
become very much like the local wild rices.”
 Professor Henry said the finding had implications for domestication of rice and
breeding for adaptation to climate change to address food security.

“It gives us clues as to how we might try to capture more of the diversity in the wild
and bring it into the domesticated gene pool to improve rice crops,” he said.

“It also points to the need to understand the significance of the maternal genotype in
terms of performance of rice because we did not previously understand there are two
very distinct maternal functional types.”

Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world's population and is the third-
largest worldwide agricultural crop, with more than 630 million
tonnes produced annually.

“Now we’ve got an ongoing collaboration with mathematicians to try and find a way of
analysing the rice data in more detail, we want to look at relationships between lots of
different subgroups,” Professor Henry said.

“This would include examining how the Basmatis and the Japonicas really relate and the
various types of Indica rices.”

The research is published in BMC Plant Biology.

Image above: UQ researcher Professor Robert Henry

Media: Professor Robert Henry, robert.henry@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3443 0552;

QAAFI Communications, Margaret Puls, m.puls@uq.edu.au, +61 (0) 419 578
356.

https://tinyurl.com
Share link:

https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/11/rice-has-many-fathers-only-two-mothers

NOVEMBER 10, 2020

New research maps potential global

spread of devastating papaya mealybug
pest
by CABI
Credit: CABI
CABI scientists have mapped the potential global spread of the devastating papaya
mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus), highlighting new areas in Africa, Asia and the
Americas into which this pest could potentially invade.

The papaya mealybug, which is native to Mexico and Central America, can have severe
impacts upon livelihoods and food security. In Ghana, for example, infestations led to a
65% yield loss which reduced export earnings and resulted in the loss of 1,700 jobs.

Using location data received through collaborations with Kerala Agricultural University,
India; the National Rice Research Institute, India; the Bangladesh Agricultural
University; University of Queensland, Australia; the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA); Fujan Agriculture and Forestry University in China and CSIRO,
researchers were able to model the potential distribution of this pest, taking into
account environmental conditions, and the distribution of suitable host crops and
irrigation patterns.

The researchers, led by CABI's Dr. Elizabeth Finch, believe the polyphagous insect
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Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Cameroon, Zambia, Madagascar and western
Ethiopia which are environmentally suitable and have suitable crop hosts.

In the Americas, the research, published in the journal Pest Management Science,

suggests papaya mealybug could extend into El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and
Panama—although the scientists believe it could already be in these locations but its
presence is yet to be confirmed.

Whilst papaya mealybug is already present in Florida, where it is under successful

control as a result of the release of endoparasitoid wasp species—Acerophagus
papayae, Anagyrus loecki, Anagyrus californicus—suitable conditions for this pest are
also present in the southern tip of Texas.

Conditions are likely to be too cold in the rest of the USA for permanent papaya
mealybug populations, however the research showed that seasonal populations could
survive in California, along the Pacific coastline and in the central and eastern states of
the USA during the warmer summer months.

In Asia, the areas with suitable conditions were more expansive than the areas with
known populations of papaya mealybug, suggesting the potential for further expansion
of papaya mealybug specifically in India, Southeast Asia and the southern regions of
the Guangxi and Guangdong provinces of southern China.

However, in Australasia the risk is low as only a small amount of fragmented land along
the north-eastern side of Queensland, from the very northern tip of Queensland to
Bundaberg, is climatically suitable. This is due to heat stress from the high temperatures
on the continent.

Similarly, in Europe—though due to cold rather than heat stress—widespread

distribution of papaya mealybug is not expected, with only a very small area of land
surrounding Seville in Spain and around Sicily in Italy having suitable conditions for
resident populations.

Dr. Finch said, "This pest has been so successful due to its quick development and
prolific reproductive capacity. It has the potential to spread to new areas and rapidly
reach high numbers unless suitable phytosanitary or control methods are implemented.

"Information about the papaya mealybug's potential distribution is important as it can

highlight key areas susceptible to invasion, giving an early warning to decision makers,
allowing them to put into place phytosanitary measures to prevent or slow the invasion
of the pest into their jurisdiction."

Dr. Finch added, "In areas where the papaya mealybug has become established and
reached a high enough population density, the use of parasitoids—such as
Acerophagus papayae and Anagyrus loecki—remains an effective potential control
method.
"Further ecological niche modeling of these parasitoid species is recommended to
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papaya mealybug could potentially expand and become established."

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Journal information: Pest Management Science 
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UC Davis researchers study microplastics in Tahoe

by Eric DoBroka
Wednesday, November 11th 2020

A A
Volume 90%
thumb_38216.png

UC Davis researchers began a new study this summer. They're studying the effects
of microplastics in Lake Tahoe.

UC Davis tested beaches all around the lake and found plastic in almost every
sample. A microplastic is a very tiny piece of plastic, smaller than a grain of rice.
"Wastewater is the number one input to most systems.
Since we don't have that in lake Tahoe we think those are
coming from litter not disposed properly. Plastic bottles or
bags that come in the lake,” said UC Davis researchers
Katie Senft.

The researchers are receiving funding from Nevada Division of Environmental

Protection to look where these microplastics are going and what kind of impact
they're having on the ecosystem.

Because once these microplastics arrive in Tahoe, they're not coming out unless
someone removes them. These researchers are also studying what parts of the lake
are most polluted and whether these microplastics are sinking to the bottom of the
lake or staying near the surface, as different pieces of plastic have different
densities. Their goal is to ultimately eliminate these microplastics both in the sand
and the water.

"We’re going to look at surface water, different depths of

water going all the way down to the bottom, deep water
sediments, municipal waters, and we're also going to look
at Asian clam and Kokanee salmon to see if they're
consuming any plastics<” continued Senft.

These could have implications for aquatic life. Asian clams and Kokanee salmon are
known to eat microplastics. They’re a good gauge of how much pollution is in a
lake.

The good news is that we can do something about this. We can eliminate as much
plastic as we can especially when visiting Tahoe. Using a reusable water bottle,
recycling, and leaving no trace when we leave, can go a long way.
The researchers will continue this project through the middle of next year. By then
other Tahoe organizations plan on diving down to the bottom of the lake to remove
some of these microplastics.

UC Davis researchers Katie Senft and Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema will host a Zoom
seminar on Thursday November 12 at noon. They'll give updates about their latest
research. To register click the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nov-12-studying-the-fate-of-microplastics-at-lake-
tahoe-tickets-126461235961

UC Davis researchers study microplastics in Tahoe

by Eric DoBroka
Wednesday, November 11th 2020

A A
Volume 90%
thumb_38216.png

UC Davis researchers began a new study this summer. They're studying the effects
of microplastics in Lake Tahoe.

UC Davis tested beaches all around the lake and found plastic in almost every
sample. A microplastic is a very tiny piece of plastic, smaller than a grain of rice.
"Wastewater is the number one input to most systems.
Since we don't have that in lake Tahoe we think those are
coming from litter not disposed properly. Plastic bottles or
bags that come in the lake,” said UC Davis researchers
Katie Senft.

The researchers are receiving funding from Nevada Division of Environmental

Protection to look where these microplastics are going and what kind of impact
they're having on the ecosystem.

Because once these microplastics arrive in Tahoe, they're not coming out unless
someone removes them. These researchers are also studying what parts of the lake
are most polluted and whether these microplastics are sinking to the bottom of the
lake or staying near the surface, as different pieces of plastic have different
densities. Their goal is to ultimately eliminate these microplastics both in the sand
and the water.

"We’re going to look at surface water, different depths of

water going all the way down to the bottom, deep water
sediments, municipal waters, and we're also going to look
at Asian clam and Kokanee salmon to see if they're
consuming any plastics<” continued Senft.

These could have implications for aquatic life. Asian clams and Kokanee salmon are
known to eat microplastics. They’re a good gauge of how much pollution is in a
lake.

The good news is that we can do something about this. We can eliminate as much
plastic as we can especially when visiting Tahoe. Using a reusable water bottle,
recycling, and leaving no trace when we leave, can go a long way.
The researchers will continue this project through the middle of next year. By then
other Tahoe organizations plan on diving down to the bottom of the lake to remove
some of these microplastics.

UC Davis researchers Katie Senft and Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema will host a Zoom
seminar on Thursday November 12 at noon. They'll give updates about their latest
research. To register click the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nov-12-studying-the-fate-of-microplastics-at-lake-
tahoe-tickets-126461235961

https://mynews4.com/news/local/uc-davis-researchers-study-microplastics-in-tahoe

Makona River Farmers Harvest

100Ha Rice
By
 Alvin Worzi
 -
November 11, 2020
0
1
Madam Bundoo says rice growers in Liberia are at the mercy of poorly
structured rice buyers or millers, and they take growers' paddy rice on credit
without paying

Say they can do much more when

equipment is provided
The Management of the Makona River Rice Farm has disclosed that it has
harvested 100 hectares and is targeting 1,000 hectares of swampland in a year
round of rice farming. 

The Monrovia Representative of the Makona River Rice Farm, Oretha S. Bundoo,
said though the process was not easy, the organization remains focused on
increasing the production of rice.  Production of the country’s staple requires the
farmers to clear upland and irrigate the swamp to sow the seeds or transplant
the seedlings, and it compels farm mangers to provide training for the workers
to understand well how to go about plating.

Mrs. Bundoo said the issue of rice production in Liberia cannot be

overemphasized, and Makona River Rice farm is poised to take the lead in
production in the Lofa area. They are producing rice in two locations, Sorlumba
Township and Kolochoe, all in the Foya District area. 

Lofa County, once regarded as Liberia’s Bread Basket, is seeing the Nimba and
Bong Counties follow suit.
“If we have equipment like swampland Rice Trans-planters, Rice nursery
seeders, tractors and Rice threshers, which are cardinal to increasing rice
production in Swamps, we will address the issue of food in Liberia. We have
people who are willing to invest their energies to help solve Liberia’s food crisis,
mainly rice,” Mrs. Bundoo said.

Mrs. Bundoo said even though the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in June this
year donated a brand new power-tiller machine to the Makona River Rice Farm
to boost its rice production, there is still a need for the MOA to focus on getting
farmers ready before the farming season starts.

“The beginning of the Farming season in Liberia shouldn’t be limited to April,

some farmers will like to be operating year round. We are also appealing to the
government and partners to introduce a buy-back or incentive-based program
for rice growers in this country,” she said. 

She said rice growers in Liberia are at the mercy of poorly structured rice
buyers or millers, and they take growers’ paddy rice on credit without paying;
an issue that is limiting growers from expanding in their productions every
farming season.

“Rice growers are willing to work hard and expand rice production in Liberia
and, with an organized buying rate of paddy rice and an incentive to rice
growers, we can change the issue of rice production in Liberia,” she said. 

Celebrating the first harvest of 100 hectares, the management of the Makona
River Rice Farm expressed its commitment to support the hard-working local
farmers by sharing the knowledge of irrigation or water management,  rice
transplanting with without the hands, lowland plowing, weeds management and
harvesting. 

Mrs. Bundoo expressed gratitude to the workers for ensuring the realization of
the harvest and promised to continue to provide support. According to her, the
Makona River Rice Farm has over 100 workers, of which 60% are women. 

She said Makona River Rice Farm and local farmers are answering the call by
the President of Liberia and the Minister of Agriculture to increase rice
production in Liberia, especially in the Lofa County region, but some local
farmers are afraid that millers will take their rice on credit without paying and,
when they complain, they become blacklisted.

https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/makona-river-farmers-harvest-100ha-rice/
First batch of Taiwan rice ready for
export to Japan
Passing hundreds of pesticide residue tests, 1,800 tons of Yilan rice is ready for export
  938  

  

By Sylvia Teng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2020/11/10 18:01

Rice field (Pixabay, mikadago photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The first batch of rice produced in the Taiwanese
county of Yilan was loaded into containers on Monday (Nov. 10) to be exported to
Japan.
Through a collaboration between the Wujie Township Farmer’s Association and a
Taiwanese company, a total of 1,800 tons of Yilan rice will be exported to Japan,
according to the Agriculture and Food Agency. Among these, 400 tons will be
dispatched by the end of the year, with the rest to be exported next year.

The rice from Yilan has passed 611 pesticide residue tests in Japan and acquired
a number of certificates, the agency said. The export shows Yilan is recognized
for rice for its taste, high quality, and the excellent milling techniques behind it,
the agency added.

Due to the cold air mass that frequents northeastern Taiwan, Yilan County is the
only place in the country where rice farmers harvest only once a year. When the
soil does not grow rice, it is left fallow or used to grow other crops that can keep
the soil fertile.

Yet that is not enough amid increasing competition in the international market in
recent years. The government has been encouraging farmers to grow quality rice
and nudging rice millers to improve their equipment and techniques, said the
agency.

The farmer’s association has monitored and controlled the use of fertilizers and
pesticides used by local farmers, and it has taken up the responsibility of
processing and preserving the harvest. In addition, the association is equipped
with cutting-edge milling machines.

The export of Yilan rice to Japan proves the government’s agricultural policy has
yielded some fruit, said the agency. It encourages agricultural authorities to
continue to help farmers sell their products overseas.

Workers load packs of Yilan rice into containers for shipment to Japan. (CNA
photo)

Taiwanese rice

rice

Yilan County

Council of Agriculture

Agriculture and Food Agency

Japan
 
  

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https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4050243

Follow quality norms while

procuring paddy: Indrakaran to
officials
The Minister was speaking at an awareness programme for rice millers, transporting
agencies and procurement centres officials here
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By TelanganaToday  |  Published: 10th Nov 2020  8:07 pm

Minister Indrakaran Reddy speaks at an awareness programme for rice millers, transporting
agencies, operators of procurement centres , held in Nirmal on Tuesday.
Nirmal: Minister for Forest and Environment Allola Indrakaran Reddy on Tuesday
instructed officials concerned to follow quality norms while procuring paddy.

The Minister was speaking at an awareness programme for rice millers, transporting
agencies and procurement centres officials here. Mudhole MLA G Vittal Reddy was also
present.

Indrakaran instructed the authorities to take precautionary measures to avoid losses to

farmers. He stressed the need to take measures to prevent recurrence of problems faced
by farmers in the last agriculture season. He told the millers to shift the produce from the
centres immediately after purchasing from the farmers.

He said that paddy was cultivated in 1,07,819 acres across the district. He stated that the
expected yield was assessed to be 15.62 lakh quintals. He informed that 181 centres were
created for procuring the produce. A total of 418 farmers had already sold their produce
at 55 centres. He told the officials to ensure sufficient supply of gunny bags and to record
data of the procurement.
Collector Musharraf Faruqui Ali, District Cooperative Marketing Society chairman
Lingaiah, District Farmer Coordination Committee Chairman N Venkatrami Reddy,
Additional Collector Hemanth Borkhade, Market Committee Chairman Narmada, In-
charge District Revenue Officer Rathod Ramesh, District Civil Supplies Officer Kiran
Kumar, Agriculture Officer Anji Prasad and many other officials were present.

Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday.

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https://telanganatoday.com/follow-quality-norms-while-procuring-paddy-indrakaran-to-officials

November 11, 2020

Special fund keeps rice harvests on firm track despite heavy floods

Sok Chan / Khmer Times 

A farmer harvesting paddy in Kampong Chhnang province. KT/Chor Sokunthea

The state-owned Agriculture Rural Development Bank (ARDB) has begun disbursing
its new $30 million government special fund to rice millers and exporters to coincide
with the harvest season, said a senior executive of the bank.
Kao Thach, director-general of the Agriculture Rural Development Bank (ARDB),
noted that funds are being released on a step-by-step basis. “In this initial stage, we
have released around $3 million already,” he said. The balance will be distributed
during the harvest of the premium aromatic rice varieties, Romdul, Romdeng, Romeat
and Somaly.
Thach noted that this new fund comes on the heels of the $50 million special loan
already distributed to millers and exporters for the fragrant  and Sen Kro Ob rice
harvest conducted earlier.  He said that the new funding was needed to facilitate new
purchases by millers from rice farmers.
“Provinces that were not affected by floods did not experience the delays in
harvesting that affected regions did. As a result, loans will continue to be delivered
between January and February. The percentage of non-performing loans is being well-
managed and the bank has also been actively restructuring loans until customers are
able to make repayments,” he said.
Mey Mon, vice-president of Boeung Leach Sambophal Agriculture Cooperative in
Kampong Chhnang province, which has entered a contract farming initiative with
Amru Rice, said that farmers in the community producing the premium quality
fragrant paddy, known as “Phka Romdoul”, are now busy with harvesting.
He said his cooperative has 27 members farming a total of 20 hectares. They sell their
paddy to Amru at a contracted price of 1,620 riel per kilo for “best quality” and 1,580
riel per kilo for second grade. Farmers selling either grade directly to brokers receive
just 1,300 riel per kilo.
Mon himself currently farms four hectares of land that yield seven tonnes per season.
He confirms that contract farming provides him with a higher price than that offered
by brokers.
Song Saran, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) and the CEO of Amru
Rice (Cambodia), said that despite declining prices for Thai Hom Mali and Jasmine
rice (down by over 30 percent in recent weeks), CRF millers and exporters are doing
their best to maintain the best price for producers by using the funds from ARDB.
“Wet Jasmine paddy prices dropped from 1,150 riel per kilo at farm gates to around
1,050 riel per kilo at farm gates over the course of last week. Most millers are
aggressively buying paddy from farmers now to keep demand steady and prevent
further price declines,” he added.
Saran added some CRF members who have rice stock as collateral have already
submitted applications to the ARDB to get new loans. “For Amru, where we only
purchase product that meets organic and sustainable rice standards, that translates to
buying around 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes,” he said.
He added that the $30 million is sufficient to purchase paddy from farmers because
now CRF members are purchasing more paddy to keep in stock. “We expect that with
the amount of money available from the government, we can collect more than
110,000 tonnes of paddy. We are confident that members can use the combination of
the previous and new loan from the ARDB to purchase the paddy they need,” Saran
said.
Cambodian rice export gross revenues reached $366.44 million in the first 10 months
of 2020, according to the CRF. Exports for the first 10 months of 2020 reached
536,035 tonnes, an increase of 17.11 percent compared with  the same period in 2019.
Cambodia produces more than 10 million tonnes of paddy a year, unofficially
exporting most of it to the Vietnamese market to the tune of more than 2 million
tonnes annually, according to figures from
the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50781705/special-fund-keeps-rice-harvests-on-firm-track-despite-
heavy-floods/

Maps Potential Global Spread Of

Devastating Papaya Mealybug Pest
November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 Tayyab Awan

CABI Scientists Have Mapped The Potential Global Spread Of The Devastating
Papaya Mealybug, Paracoccus Marginatus,
By Wayne Coles

Highlighting new areas in Africa, Asia and the Americas into which this pest
could potentially invade.

The papaya mealybug, which is native to Mexico and Central America, can have
severe impacts upon livelihoods and food security. In Ghana, for example, infestations
led to a 65% yield loss which reduced export earnings and resulted in the loss of 1,700
jobs.

Using location data received through collaborations with Kerala Agricultural

University, India; the National Rice Research Institute, India; the Bangladesh
Agricultural University; University of Queensland, Australia; the International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Fujan Agriculture and Forestry University in
China and CSIRO, researchers were able to model the potential distribution of this
pest, taking into account environmental conditions, and the distribution of suitable
host crops and irrigation patterns.

interesting reading:  Thousands Of Israelis Protest Against Netanyahu Over Mishandling

Of Coronavirus Crisis
The researchers, led by CABI’s Dr Elizabeth Finch, believe the polyphagous insect
pest, which affects over 200 plants including economically important crops such as
papaya, cassava and avocado, could spread to areas such as the south of the
Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Cameroon, Zambia, Madagascar and
western Ethiopia which are environmentally suitable and have suitable crop hosts.

In the Americas, the research, published in the journal Pest Management Science,
suggests papaya mealybug could extend into El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and
Panama – although the scientists believe it could already be in these locations but its
presence is yet to be confirmed.

Whilst papaya mealybug is already present in Florida, where it is under successful

control as a result of the release of endoparasitoid wasp species – Acerophagus
papayae, Anagyrus loecki, Anagyrus californicus – suitable conditions for this pest
are also present in the southern tip of Texas.

Conditions are likely to be too cold in the rest of the USA for permanent papaya
mealybug populations, however the research showed that seasonal populations could
survive in California, along the Pacific coastline and in the central and eastern states
of the USA during the warmer summer months.

interesting reading:  Father's day 2020 Guide Best gadgets and tech ideas for dad

In Asia, the areas with suitable conditions were more expansive than the areas with
known populations of papaya mealybug, suggesting the potential for further
expansion of papaya mealybug specifically in India, Southeast Asia and the southern
regions of the Guangxi and Guangdong provinces of southern China.

However, in Australasia the risk is low as only a small amount of fragmented land
along the north-eastern side of Queensland, from the very northern tip of Queensland
to Bundaberg, is climatically suitable. This is due to heat stress from the high
temperatures on the continent.

Similarly, in Europe – though due to cold rather than heat stress – widespread
distribution of papaya mealybug is not expected, with only a very small area of land
surrounding Seville in Spain and around Sicily in Italy having suitable conditions for
resident populations.
interesting reading:  Current Season Attains Higher Mango Export Targeting 125,000
Tonnes

Dr Finch said, “This pest has been so successful due to its quick development and
prolific reproductive capacity. It has the potential to spread to new areas and rapidly
reach high numbers unless suitable phytosanitary or control methods are
implemented.

“Information about the papaya mealybug’s potential distribution is important as it can

highlight key areas susceptible to invasion, giving an early warning to decision
makers, allowing them to put into place phytosanitary measures to prevent or slow the
invasion of the pest into their jurisdiction.”

Dr Finch added, “In areas where the papaya mealybug has become established and
reached a high enough population density, the use of parasitoids – such as
Acerophagus papayae and Anagyrus loecki – remains an effective potential control
method.

“Further ecological niche modelling of these parasitoid species is recommended to

anticipate their survival, fitness and ultimate biological control impact in areas into
which papaya mealybug could potentially expand and become established.”

This news was originally published at Eurek Alert

https://www.technologytimes.pk/2020/11/10/maps-potential-global-spread-of-devastating-papaya-
mealybug

Gov. Tambuwal assures 100%

returns on $13m fertiliser
blending plant
By

 Naija247news Media, New York

 -

November 10, 2020

13

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

By Habibu Harisu
Sokoto, Nov. 10, 2020 Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has assured OCP
Africa Fertilisers Nigeria Ltd. of 100 per cent returns on the 13 million dollars
fertiliser blending plant being set up in the state.

The governor gave the assurance on Tuesday when he visited the construction
site of the company.

Naija247news reports that the plant which is expected to begin operations in

2021 has capacity to produce 200,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser annually.

“The contract will enable the company recoup its investment in the project
designated as an agricultural centre of excellence within the first year of its
operation.

“This gesture is part of the administration’s objectives to attract genuine local

and foreign investors to the state,” Tambuwal said.

The governor listed incentives for companies willing to invest in the state to
include provision of infrastructural facilities at industrial layouts, easy access to
land, tax holidays and joint venture partnership.

“OCP Africa has started benefitting from the state government’s incentives with
the granting of a piece of 10 hectares land and its certified title deed to it by the
state government in less than 24 hours last year.

“My administration’s drive in this direction is to the fact that countries of the
world are gradually gravitating towards non-oil revenues.

“We will not relent in our effort to move Sokoto state forward for sustainable
development in all sectors.
“The state government determination is not only to promote but improve
agricultural production for food sufficiency and promotion of agricultural
businesses,’’ he said.

According to him, Sokoto state has the largest deposit of high quality phosphate
in Nigeria, which makes the establishment of the plant a big step to making
fertiliser readily available and affordable to all farmers in the state and the
northern region.

The Deputy Managing Director of OCP, Mr Caleb Usoh, said the company would
serve as a centre of training for fertiliser manufacturers, farmers and other
stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.

He said facilities at the plant include modern NPK fertiliser blending equipment,
process building, warehouse, administrative building and trailer park among
others

Meanwhile, a Sokoto-based industrialist, Alhaji Nura Attajidi, has commended

the state government for facilitating the establishment of the fertiliser blending
plant in the state.

Attajidi, who is the Chairman of the state chapter of Small and Medium Scale
Rice Millers, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto.

He said the plant, when completed, would boost agricultural production,

employment and commercial activities across the state.

Attajidi appealed to the state government to ensure that residents in the plant’s
immediate communities were employed to forestall any form of restiveness.
 Also, Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, the Sokoto state Chairman of Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), told NAN that the establishment of the plant
would enable farmers in the state to have easy access to fertiliser.

https://naija247news.com/2020/11/10/gov-tambuwal-assures-100-returns-on-13m-fertiliser-blending-
plant/#.X6uxdEQzY2w

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Science Week: Looking to 2045 and a

world full of exciting change
Science Week celebrates its 25th anniversary with hundreds of virtual events from
November 8th-15th, designed to get everybody thinking about what the world will look
like in 2045
Mon, Nov 9, 2020, 06:00

Sponsored byScience Foundation Ireland

Climate activists, 14-year-old Sumaya Mohammed and 15-year-old Mira Henchi, students at Cork Educate Together
Secondary.
 

With many events forced online, some work better than others. One of those is the
always fun and dynamic Science Week. Now celebrating its 25th year, the national
celebration of science is back in 2020 with hundreds of virtual events for all ages
taking place the week of November 8th-15th, 2020.
As always, the goal of Science Week is to provoke curiosity and explore the science
behind our everyday lives. This year the theme is “Choosing our Future”, and each of
the various events will attempt to make attendees consider the future we want and
help them understand the role science can play in this.
Science Week might be celebrating its 25th anniversary, but instead of looking back it
wants to look forward to the next quarter century – what will the world look like in
2045? Scientists of all ages spoke about their field of work and what they think it will
look like in 25 years’ time.
Genomics will be commonplace

Sarah
Ennis

Sarah Ennis was always fascinated by how the human body works but rejected a
career in medicine to dive into the world of cellular genomics and bioinformatics.
“This field brings together my love for biology and my love for problem-solving,” she
explains.
Ennis is currently a PhD candidate at the SFI Centre for Research Training in
Genomics Data Science in NUI Galway, where her research is focused on using a
technique called single cell genomics to research acute myeloid leukaemia. This is
one of the rarer blood cancers – around 80 people will be diagnosed in Ireland each
year – but has one of the worst survival rates, with just 25 per cent of people
surviving beyond five years.
Ennis explains that the main problem with treatment of AML is drug resistance – it
is believed that the microenvironment of the bone marrow might “protect” some
patients from treatment. “I am trying to investigate how the different cell types in
the bone marrow and the cancer cells might be communicating with each other by
expressing different genes and how that might lead some patients to relapse and
others to respond to treatment.” While it involves lab work, it also involves coding
and the analysis of genetic data.
There will be a new generation of biologists who will have the
skills to perform genomics research, whether it's at a lab bench
or a laptop
It is Ennis’ belief that by 2045, genomics will be much more commonplace and
accessible. “I think it's a safe bet to assume that most people will have access to their
whole genome sequence - their individual source code - and that this will be used in
a healthcare setting to inform the personalised prediction, diagnosis and treatment
of diseases.” She also expects the divide between the experimental and
computational side of biology to continue to “blur”; “there will be a new generation
of biologists who will have the skills to perform genomics research, whether it's at a
lab bench or a laptop.”
It all goes back to the genes

Dr Sónia Negrão

Dr Sónia Negrão, PhD, is a lecturer and assistant professor in the School of Biology
and Environmental Science at University College Dublin. She says that she "fell in
love with genetics" while at high school in Portugal. "When you start learning the
laws of genetics, I got hooked on it and it was so fun, that was our genes could
dictate what we look like." 
Though she originally wanted to be a vet, she didn’t achieve a place in veterinary
college. “Thank God,” she says. “Now I realise that I would never have had the guts
to be a vet!"
Negrão instead studied agronomy, the branch of agricultural science that deals with
the study of crops and the soils in which they grow. Her research in rice and barley
breeding has brought her all over the world – she investigated environmental stress
and the biodiversity of rice plants in the Philippines and worked for several years in
Saudi Arabia. Her current work in UCD is focused on the genomic signatures of
stress adaptation in barley, determining what makes it more resilient. “It’s like
humans – some people react strongly to a stressful situation and keep fighting, and
others get overwhelmed and plants are the same.”
According to Negrão, the “cool thing” about plants is their genetics; as they can’t
move, they’ve had to come up with clever solutions to survive stress.
In 2045, she believes the use of new technologies will play an even bigger role in
plant science, as agriculture necessarily becomes more sustainable. “We are seeing a
shift towards a heightened awareness of sustainability and changes to consumer
patterns. In 25 years, this will be more pronounced as our teenagers grow up and
take with them the vegetarian or vegan habit they developed in their youth .” She
believes that plant science research will be fundamental for sustainable food
production in 2045.
New ways of doing things

Prof Derek O’Keeffe

Prof Derek O’Keeffe says he was always curious – as a teenager, he took apart the
family’s television set to see how it worked, before putting it back together again.
That anecdote is almost a metaphor for his chosen career, that of a “physicianeer” or
physician engineer.
O’Keeffe first studied engineering at undergraduate level but a medical-themed
project in his final year piqued his interest in the human body. A PhD in biomedical
engineering followed, which allowed him to combine his two interests. Interest in his
PhD work led him to Harvard University in Massachusetts as a Fulbright scholar.
“My eyes were opened to the clinical world more and more – it was a great
ecosystem over there, where I could see the hybrid of medicine and engineering,” he
explains. He then undertook a medical degree, and eventually specialised in
endocrinology, training at the renowned Mayo Clinic.
O’Keeffe’s mixture of engineering and medicine came to the fore when he worked
with NASA placing a sleep experiment onboard the International Space Station. He
made his way back to Ireland, however, and is currently a consultant endocrinologist
at University Hospital Galway (UHG) and the Professor of Medical Device
Technology at the National University of Ireland Galway. His TED Talk “Digital
Doctors: The Future of Medicine” caused a stir last year, and currently has over
55,000 views on YouTube. Technology and medicine are married every day, he says,
giving the examples of fitness wearables: “People are now getting insurance
incentives for joining gyms or doing 10,000 steps a day. All this data around human
health is at our fingertips.”
By 2045 we will know whether many of the dire predictions
around climate change will have come to pass
He has since pioneered a new programme whereby students can study a
combination of medicine and engineering, and O’Keeffe sees hybrid programmes
such as this becoming “commonplace” by 2045. “By then, clinicians will have the
vocabulary of science and technology – right now we are still teaching it the same we
have taught it for 200 years. It gives you the skillset to look at a new way of doing
things in medicine.”
We will be in a better place by 2045
By 2045 we will know whether many of the dire predictions around climate change
will have come to pass. 14-year-old Sumaya Mohammed and 16-year-old Mira
Henchi, students at Cork Educate Together Secondary, freely admit they are
“accidental” climate activists. Henchi explains she was always aware of climate
change but didn’t know much about it. That all changed when she became involved
in plans for the first “climate strike” in Cork last year. “I finally felt the urgency of the
issue and I believed that I had to do something, morally I had a duty to fight for this
because it was going to affect me and everyone in my lifetime and also the future
generations that aren’t here yet.”
“At first I knew that it was happening, but I didn’t see the urgency,” Mohammed
says. “When I got involved through school, I began to question why isn’t everyone
doing something about this. I felt if I didn’t do anything about it, how could I say I
love my planet?”
Both students want to take career paths that will allow them to help others, whether
it is through science or human rights activism. Henchi agrees. “By 2045 if we don’t
take action, there will be extreme weather events happening the whole time here in
Ireland, with more droughts and flooding. This will increase homelessness and
poverty and that’s what pushing me to fight for our climate.” Mohammed is
optimistic, believing that climate activism can make a huge difference. “So many
 people care so much about this, they will do anything to make sure we are in a better
place in 2045 than we are now.”
Science Week 2020 will run from November 8th to November 15th and this year
marks its 25th anniversary. Want to share your views on how science can shape
our future? Visit our interactive platform and join the conversation
at scienceweek.ie to share your vision for the future this Science Week!
#BelieveinScience 
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https://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/science-week/science-week-looking-to-2045-and-a-world-full-
of-exciting-change-1.4393329

BRRI gets new admin director

 Tribune Desk
  Published at 04:04 pm November 9th, 2020
Md Abu Bakr Siddidique Courtesy

Prior to the new position, Siddique was serving the institute as the
chief scientific officer and head of the agricultural economics
division
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) appointed Md Abu Bakr Siddidique as
its Director (Administration and Common Service) on Sunday.

Prior to the new position, Siddique was serving the institute as the chief scientific
officer and head of the agricultural economics division, according to a press
release.

He also served the institute as its coordinator for advanced studies and research.

He began his career as a scientific officer of the institute in 1994 and devotedly
performing his duties at different positions over the last 26 years.

Siddique obtained his BSc (Ag Econ) degree in 1987 from the Bangladesh
Agricultural University and MSc degree in 2000 from the same university.

He completed his PhD degree on Agricultural Economics (marketing) in 2010 from

the same university.

As a researcher, Siddique has special expertise on price system and value chain.

Siddique is directly involved in feedback and impact assessment of different rice

varieties and production technologies as well as policy research and providing
policy support to the government.

At present, he is one of the senior scientists in National Agricultural Research

System (NARS) in Bangladesh.

Since its establishment in 1970, BRRI has been serving the nation through
development of high-yielding rice varieties and improved production practices,
which have been instrumental almost in tripling the annual rice production within
the last 48 years.

The high-yielding modern varieties (MVs) developed by BRRI currently covers 82%
of the Boro, 36% of the Aush, and 47% of the T-Aman cultivated areas of
Bangladesh. 

The overall adoption MVs in Bangladesh is 79.55%. These varieties account for
about 85% of the total annual rice production in the country.
 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/agriculture/2020/11/09/brri-gets-new-admin-director

What it will take to make Suga’s

agricultural export policy succeed?
 The financial subsidies paid to Japanese farmers to keep rice production down amounts to
¥300 to ¥400 billion annually. If the government wants to increase exports, production needs to
be raised. | REUTERS


 BY KAZUHITO YAMASHITA
 CONTRIBUTING WRITER

 SHARE
 Nov 11, 2020
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been a flag-waver for the export of agricultural,
forestry and fishery products since he was chief Cabinet secretary in the previous
administration.

In March of this year, the administration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set a goal
to increase exports of such products from ¥1 trillion to ¥2 trillion by 2025, and
eventually ¥5 trillion by 2030.

In April, the authority responsible for conducting negotiations and overseeing export
procedures, which had been shared by both the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, was combined into the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It certainly seems to be a model case for
unsiloing government bureaucracy, which is gaining traction under the new
administration.

But how much will an increase in exports contribute to gains in agricultural and rural
incomes? Of the food products sent to foreign markets last year, the largest domestically
produced agricultural exports were beef at ¥29.7 billion, sake at ¥23.4 billion, green tea
at ¥14.6 billion, apples at ¥14.5 billion, rice at ¥4.6 billion and grapes at ¥3.2 billion.
Even if other domestically produced agricultural products are included, the total
amount is less than ¥200 billion — representing a mere 2% of the total ¥9 trillion in
agricultural production. So even a fivefold increase would barely make a difference to
farmers’ incomes.

In fact, most of the value of agricultural, forestry and fishery exports is derived from
processed foods using imported materials such as wheat and sugar from countries such
as the United States and Australia and fishery products such as scallops and pearls. So
even if Japan tries to increase its exports, it would end up doing so by processing U.S.
agricultural products in Japan for shipping overseas.

What are the domestic agricultural products that can be exported? The production
capacity for one such product, which has been grown for thousands of years in Japan,
greatly exceeds that needed to meet domestic demand. That is rice, of which, Japanese-
grown varieties are highly regarded in international markets.

However, the nation’s agricultural industry constantly warns that rice production and
producers are under threat from cheaper imports and that exporting the staple
commodity should be unthinkable.

But is that true? Among many people globally, there is a common belief that developing
countries export agricultural products and developed countries export industrial
products. A sizable number of those also assume the United States, with its large
landmass arable farmland, exports more agricultural products while Japan exports
industrial products. In reality, products of different qualities are exported or imported
from each nation within the same industry. This is because people everywhere have
different tastes and demand products of different quality.

As for automobiles, Japan imports cars and other vehicles from such companies as
Mercedes, Renault and Volvo while exporting vehicles from domestic manufacturers
such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda and others. The same applies to agricultural products.
For wine, the United States, Germany and China are ranked among the top 10 exporters
and importers in the world. For example, wines from all over the world line the shelves
of American liquor stores.

As for beef, the United States, the Netherlands, France and Germany are ranked in the
top 10 countries in terms of both how much they earn in exports and spend on imports.
The United States imports low-priced beef for hamburger steaks from cattle fattened
with grass from Australia, while high-grade beef from cattle fattened with grains such as
corn is exported to Japan and other countries.

As for agricultural products, there are differences in quality, so trade is bidirectional. It

is referred to as “intraindustrial trade” when there is a difference in quality. Regarding
rice, there is a distinction between short- and long-grain rice, with both coming in
different qualities and prices. In terms of long-grain rice, for example, there can be a
price difference of three to four times between high-grade varieties such as basmati rice
from Pakistan and jasmine rice from Thailand and low-grade varieties. While exporting
3.27 million tons of rice, the United States also imports 770,000 tons from Thailand and
other countries, mainly jasmine rice.

As for the high reputation for Japanese rice on the international market, in Hong Kong,
the same koshihikari variety is traded at 1.6 times the price of that grown in California
and 2.5 times of that produced in China. The consumption of short grain rice in China
was almost unheard of 15 years ago. Since then, the consumption and production of
short-grain rice has increased 40%, largely due to the introduction of electronic rice
cookers that were first made popular in Japan.

Most of the short- and medium-grain rice varieties produced in California are similar in
quality to Japanese rice. But in California, almond farming, which competes with rice
production because both require a lot of land and water resources, has been expanding,
with the result that rice farming has been dwindling. Due to the dry weather in
California, the water content in rice is low, causing more of it to rupture during
production and affecting the taste. Rice farming comprises 1% of the state’s agricultural
production.

Recently, Japanese rice exports have increased tenfold from a decade ago. However,
that represents only 14,000 tons out of the about 7.5 million tons produced annually.
Rice produced in Japan is of good quality, but the price is too high to be competitive.
The Japanese government for some 50 years has maintained a policy of limiting the
amount of farmland available for rice production to prop up the price. The land area set
aside from rice production amounts to 40% of the paddy fields, with rice production
decreasing to half of its peak. In order to keep the production of rice down, researchers
at national and prefectural institutions were strictly prohibited from breeding new
varieties to increase yields.

Today, Japan’s rice yield per hectare is 40% lower than that of California. It has also
been surpassed by China, whose yield per hectare was only half that of Japan 50 years
ago. The cost could be reduced by 30% through the adoption of high-yielding varieties
similar to those in use in California.

The financial subsidies paid to farmers to keep production down amounts to ¥300 to
¥400 billion annually. Exports cannot be increased while the price of domestically
grown rice remains high. To put it another way, if we want to increase exports, we have
to increase production — yet the government continues a policy of hindering increased
output.

The price of California rice imported to Japan in 2018 was ¥11,464 per 60 kilograms,
while the possible export price for Japanese rice was about ¥13,000. If the government
policy of reducing production is suspended, the export price will temporarily drop to
about ¥7,000 (with production volume amounting to about 8 million tons). But if a
trading company buys it for ¥7,000 and sells it for ¥13,000, it will definitely make a
profit, so the supply of rice from the domestic market will decrease and the domestic
rice price will soon rise to ¥13,000. This will greatly increase production the following
year. Furthermore, if high-yielding rice is allowed to be cultivated, rice production will
increase to more than 15 million tons. At this time, the amount of exports will be 7
million tons.

Rice contributes greatly to export goals. If the farmers affected by the price decline are
given an extra ¥1,000 to compensate for the difference between the export price
¥13,000 and current price ¥14,000, it will cost the government roughly ¥50 billion, a
significant reduction from the ¥300 to ¥400 billion currently borne by taxpayers.
Consumers also benefit from lower prices.

In normal times, Japan exports rice and other food products, and imports such
commodities as wheat and beef. But if imports were cut off, such as during a food crisis,
people could then still eat the rice that was intended to be exported to stave off hunger.
Land that was used to produce rice for export could also be converted and used to grow
such things as high-calorie potatoes.

Rice exports during peacetime play a role in securing food stockpiles and agricultural
resources in the event of a crisis. Moreover, such stockpiling is less burdensome
financially because there is no need to secure warehouses for storage. Free trade in
peacetime helps ensure food security in times of crisis.

High rice prices have also been the catalyst behind the development of the agricultural
cooperative system. By keeping the rice price higher than the market price, agricultural
cooperatives have been able to help maintain a large number of small part-time and
elderly farmers. Over time, those farmers deposited their earnings and pension with the
agricultural cooperatives. The amount of funds accumulated by agricultural
cooperatives exceeded ¥100 trillion, helping in the establishment of Japan’s second
largest megabank, the JA Bank.

If rice prices are slashed, the politically powerful cooperatives are not going to be happy.
If we want to export in earnest, we need to go against the powerful agricultural lobby
and overhaul the nation’s agricultural policy. Is the Suga administration prepared to do
that?

Kazuhito Yamashita is research director of Canon Institute for Global Studies and a
senior fellow of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and industry.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/11/11/commentary/japan-commentary/yoshihide-suga-
agricultural-export-policy/