31st july (friday),2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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July 31, 2015 Vol 5 ,Issue VII



Intercontinental Hotels risks forceful closure over rice import debt

July 31, 2015 | Filed under: Agricultural Business,Economy | Author: Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it may be forced to shut down Intercontinental Hotels

Lagos, following the alleged refusal of the hotel‟s parent company, Milan Group, to pay rice

duty.Speaking during a phone interview this morning on a radio programme by Ships and Ports,

Wale Adeniyi, public relations officer, NCS, said this was because Milan Group, which has

refused to pay rice subsidy after exceeding its rice quota for 2014, was housed in the same

premises as Intercontinental Hotels and shared the same owners.“We are not unmindful that they

have guests in the hotel. We are making representations to them to ensure that they either pay

Customs duty or they evacuate their guests before we seal the hotel premises, because it is the

hotel that houses Milan Group,” Adeniyi said.

Continuing, he said: “The owner of the companies is the same. So, we‟ve given them options;

either to make do their payment or we have no choice but to stop them from operating. We don‟t

want to create unnecessary scenes so we are going to be civil in our approach to the

Intercontinental issue. The planned operation was due to government directives that the premises

of all defaulting importers be sealed off.”The NCS has been given a directive to seal off business

premises of all defaulting importers. “It is a directive from the Federal Government and we are

going to carry it out. So, we‟ll give them one or two days notice to get their guests and their

customers informed so that we don‟t end up embarrassing anybody,” he said.According to

Adeniyi, some of the companies have falsely claimed that the quotas given to them were to be

carried over to 2015.

“The documents conveying the quotas were explicit. The quotas were meant to bridge supply

gap of 1.3 metric tons, estimated to be the volume needed by Nigeria to bridge the supply gap in

2014, and that it should be imported in a concessionary way.“Also, stated that any company that

exceeded the quota will have to pay what others who didn‟t get concessions would pay, and that

is 70 percent duty,” he said.In this case, he said, Milan imported 750,000 metric tons in excess.

Recall on June 28, names of four rice importers, owing the service over N23 billion debts for

importing rice in excess of the government approved quota, were published.

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE with wire report

http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/intercontinental-hotels-risks-forceful-closure-over-

rice-import-debt/#.VbyR6PlVikp

BASMATI RICE EXPORTERS ADVISED TO BUILD

BRAND IMAGE & REGAIN LOST MARKETS

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises ( UNISAME ) advised the basmati rice exporters to

build their brand image and promote export of basmati rice and regain lost markets. UNISAME

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thanked the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan ( TDAP ) and the ministry of commerce (

MINCOM ) for closing the Quality Review Committee ( QRC ) rice inspection cell which

proved futile and became a hurdle for basmati rice exporters.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver appreciated the positive step taken by MINCOM to

disband the QRC and remove all impediments in the export of basmati rice. QRC became a

hindrance and rice exporters now have a free hand to export their rice varieties as required by the

buyers with or without pre-shipment inspection by third party.The staff of the QRC was served

with a termination notice one month ago and yesterday was the last day. TDAP has directed the

employees to collect their dues.

Thaver said the rice exporters are now in a position to export their own brands and urged them to

register their brands and build brand image. However he requested the SME rice exporters to

maintain the quality of all varieties of rice whether basmati or non basmati.He was confident that

the rice exporters will do their best to promote the basmati rice which is our national heritage.He

also requested the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan ( REAP ) to take up the matter of

geographical indications for basmati rice and not procrastinate on the issue.He advised the SME

exporters of rice to set up their own quality control systems and carry out quality inspections of

the cargo before shipments and if need be by third party inspection companies.

QRC was given under TDAP since last 3 years after being managed by REAP for more than a

decade. The management by REAP created conflict of interest and was challenged in the court of

law which ruled that REAP could not compel rice exporters to become it's members and directed

QRC to be made independent, transparent and impartial. It was then shifted to independent

premises and placed under TDAP.However the audit report is awaited and the issue of property

purchased by REAP in its own name from QRC funds is questionable and the property will have

to be returned and the TDAP officials who facilitated the transaction will be answerable

QRC CLOSED FOR GOOD

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises ( UNISAME ) thanked the Trade Development

Authority of Pakistan ( TDAP ) and the ministry of commerce ( MINCOM ) for closing the

Quality Review Committee ( QRC ) rice inspection cell which proved futile and became a hurdle

for basmati rice exporters.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver appreciated the positive step

taken by Mincom to disband the QRC and remove all impediments in the export of rice.The staff

of the QRC was served with a termination notice one month ago and today was the last day.

TDAP has directed the employees to collect their dues.Thaver said the rice exporters are now in

a position to export their own brands.



However he requested the SME rice exporters to maintain the quality of all varieties of rice

whether basmati or non basmati.He was confident that the rice exporters will do their best to

promote the basmati rice which is our national heritage.He also requested the Rice Exporters

Association of Pakistan ( REAP ) to take up the matter of geographical indications for basmati

rice and not procrastinate on the issue.He advised the SME exporters of rice to set up their own

quality control systems and carry out quality inspections of the cargo before shipments and if

need be by third party inspection companies.QRC was given under TDAP since last years after

being managed by REAP for more than a decade.

The management by REAP created conflict of interest and was challenged in the court of law

which ruled that REAP could not compel rice exporters to become it's members and directed

QRC to be made independent, transparent and impartial. It was then shifted to independent

premises and placed under TDAP.However the audit report is awaited and the issue of property

purchased by REAP in its own name from QRC funds is questionable and the property will have

to be returned and the TDAP officials who facilitated the transaction will be answerable.

Customs Threatens to Shutdown Intercontinental Hotel over

Unpaid Duties by Rice Importers 31 Jul 2015

Bags of rice

Crusoe Osagie â€¨

The ongoing dispute between

the Nigeria Customs Service

(NCS) and large rice investors in

the country has taken a new

turn, as the NCS has threatened

to close down one of Nigeria‟s

foremost hotels, Intercontinental

Hotel Lagos.Regarded by

industry observers as a sledge

hammer approach, the NCS has

threatened that it may shut down

the Intercontinental Hotel,

following the non-payment of retrospective duties by the hotel‟s parent company, Milan Group.

This was disclosed thursday by Wale Adeniyi, Public Relations Officer of NCS.NCS shut down

the Lagos warehouses of a number of rice importers this week over non-payment of duties on

rice imports that had exceeded their quotas.Some of the major importers affected by the

clampdown include Olam, Milan Group and Stallion Group – all owned by Asian nationals with

vast investments in Nigeria.Investors in the rice sub-sector said the rice industry was still coming



to terms with the action of the NCS, acting against the rule of law that has demanded

determination to be made by the judicial system for the dispute on unpaid duties by importers of

rice.Some of the investors have lodged cases in courts, claiming that the action of NCS was

subjudice, illegal and unauthorised.

NCS is demanding retrospective duties from the rice investors for imports in 2014, while the

investors have claimed that the quota allocations did not comply with stipulated regulations

issued late only by December and were also biased against bonafide investors.Following the

confusion that trailed the 2014 quotas, quotas for 2015 were also issued, cancelled and later

reissued again. The implementation of the policy received a lot of criticism from the rice

industry, as the presidential directives were not complied with in the process.The affected rice

investors have invested billions of naira in the rice value chain and have been catalysts in

Nigeria‟s recent initiatives to be self-sufficient in rice production.

The immediate past Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, had said in August 2014

that, “our rice today in terms of total value added to our local economy in terms of gross value

across all the states is N750 billion since we started in 2012”.NCS‟s action, according to the rice

investors, would slow down the momentum that was building in the area of food security at a

time when the economy is struggling from the impact of lower oil prices and foreign exchange

woes.They said that apart from Intercontinental Hotel, NCS‟ actions and threats included closure

of several unrelated industries promoted by the rice investors including factories that partner

global multinationals and are driving industrial growth and employment.

With no clarity on import quotas for 2015, Nigeria may once again open itself only to be fed by

smugglers through the borders, ironically denying NCS its rightful revenue, they argued.The

industry hopes the new administration will direct a progressive forward-looking approach to

ensure continued rice production operations by the affected investors, said one of the rice

investors.

Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Intercontinental Hotel, DUTIES

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/customs-threatens-to-shutdown-intercontinental-hotel-over-unpaid-

duties-by-rice-importers/216161/

Apps for farmers offered

BY PEACE S. FLORES

Friday, July 31, 2015

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in cooperation with the Department of

Agriculture – Philippine Rice Research Institute and Agricultural Training Institute presented a

series of rice agriculture-related apps to farmers and members of the academe during a two-day

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Session at PhilRice-Negros in Murcia town this week.Jerome

Cayton Barradas, junior specialist at IRRI's Rice Knowledge Bank Content Development

Training Center, said that the apps, that can be downloaded for free are a good means to

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empower farmers by giving them access to technology.Rice Crop Manager, a customizable crop

and nutrient management guide, was designed by IRRI for use by crop advisors, extension

workers, input and service providers, Barradas said.

MOET App, also developed by IRRI, computes appropriate field fertilizer requirements for

particular rice cultivars. IRRI's Rice Doctor is a diagnostics tool for systematic identification and

management of rice crop problems and Weed Smart, also by IRRI, deals with rice weed

identification and management, he added.Barradas also recommended online resources for

farmers such as Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank at http://www.pinoyrice.com and the Rice

Knowledge Bank at http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org.*PSF

NegOcc farmers get highest allocation from PhilRice for

Visayas operations

Friday, July 31, 2015

By ERWIN P. NICAVERA

MURCIA – The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice)

has an average annual budget allocation of at least P20 million for its Visayas operations, and

about 80 percent of the fund goes to Negros Occidental.Edgar Libetario, acting director of

PhilRice Negros, said this is because the center here covers Regions 6, 7 and 8 thus, more

personnel are needed.Negrense farmers mostly avail of the programs, he added.In terms of seed

technology, Libetario said Negros Occidental is the top user in the Visayas, utilizing 65 percent

of the total seeds produced.

“The availability of quality seeds in Negros Occidental is therefore higher compared to other

provinces in Visayas,” he said, adding that this further results to more developments in the local

rice industry.PhilRice records showed that the province‟s current degree of rice self- sufficiency

is higher compared to previous years.This can be attributed to the programs implemented by

PhilRice and its strong partnership with the provincial government, Libetario said.The provincial

government‟s quest for the establishment of PhilRice Visayas in Negros is an advantage, he

added.“Negrenses now are much aware of the rice production scenario. Local farmers have

better performance in crop management, utilization of rice produced, and investing on facilities

that would increase the efficiency of output,” Libetario also said.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/erwin-p-nicavera



As a result, Negros Occidental is now one of the highest average yielding provinces in the

country.It has even the highest average yield in terms of per hectare per cropping basis compared

to the rest of the provinces in Western Visayas.

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on July 31, 2015.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2015/07/31/negocc-farmers-get-highest-allocation-philrice-

visayas-operations-421968

Senate Asks FG to Stop Waivers on Rice Importation 31 Jul 2015

National Assembly complex Says Nigeria lost N585bn to waivers between 2011 and 2014

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The Senate thursday asked the

federal government to

henceforth stop all waivers on

rice imports and all other

agricultural products.It also

mandated the Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN) Governor,

Godwin Emefiele, and the

Comptroller General of

Customs, Abdullahi Dikko, to

ensure that all import duties due

to government are

recovered.The parliament also

set up an ad-hoc committee

chaired by Senator Adamu Aliero, to look into the duty waiver policy regime and simultaneously

carry out a holistic review with a view to determining government revenues lost to the waiver

policy.

The committee was also mandated to look into all issues relating to waivers, concessions and

grants with a view to determining full government revenues in relation to this policy.The mover

of the motion, Senator Adebayo Ibrahim (Kwara South), said the flagrant abuse of the waiver

scheme had severely eroded the federal government‟s local rice production policy by allowing

importation of huge quantities of the commodity in excess of approved quota.According to him,

a recent Senate interaction with CBN revealed how importers overshot their quotas and

consequently owe the federal government import duties running into billions of naira.He further

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2015/07/31/negocc-farmers-get-highest-allocation-philrice-visayas-operations-421968

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2015/07/31/negocc-farmers-get-highest-allocation-philrice-visayas-operations-421968



argued that instead of importers paying 70 per cent duties and levies to the federal government,

they were granted waivers and thereby denied Nigeria legitimate revenue.

He also said instead of punishing defaulting importers, the outgone federal government under

Goodluck Jonathan rewarded them with fresh waivers to import more in the twilight of the

administration.Ibrahim disclosed that the federal government loses as much as N71 billion on

duty waivers to importers of rice, palm oil, energy equipment, steel and vegetable oil annually,

recalling how the federal government gave waivers to 10 rice and palm oil importers amounting

to N150 billion in 2011.He regretted that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) which ought to

enforce compliance with the duty policy at the borders has failed to live up to its

responsibility.While supporting the motion, Senator Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto North), said findings

on THE waivers had shown that N585 billion in waivers were granted by the federal government

between 2011 and 2014.Gobir argued that if this sum was shared among the 36 states of the

federation, each of the three senatorial districts in a state would get N5.3 billion which he said

was enough to provide 5,000 jobs in various states.

He called for a complete stop of the waiver scheme.Also speaking, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi

West) said recent findings showed that over N400 billion had been granted as waivers in recent

times.He compared the issue of waivers to plea bargain, which he said was a good idea when

conceived but has now been abused, alleging that the customs service had been conniving with

importers to evade import duties.While advocating their removal, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe

(Abia South), said waivers on rice, cement, palm oil, among others, stated that local content

production should be enhanced while the Nigerian economy is protected like that of Malaysia

Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, RICE, Importation

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/senate-asks-fg-to-stop-waivers-on-rice-importation/216157/

N23.6bn Excess Levy: Customs Seals Importers’ Warehouses Jul 31st, 2015

The Nigeria Customs

Service (NCS), has sealed warehouses of defaulting rice importers over non-payment of N23.6

billion excess importation levy.The sealed companies are; OLAM, Stallion, Masco Agro, Ebony

Agro and Conti Agro (Milan).The NCS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, made the

disclosure in an interview with The Tide source in Abuja recently.He said “the four rice

importers are indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N23.6 billion.

“This drastic action was taken to compel them to make payment.‟‟Adeniyi said series of

advertisements had been made in newspapers to make them pay for their excess importation.He

added that an ultimatum was also given to them to pay the outstanding charges, which they did

not comply with.“Today, we are no longer issuing ultimatum. We are ready to walk the talk with

decisive action to recover outstanding duty due to the federal government of Nigeria.“That is

why we have sealed their premises to prevent them from making importation into Nigeria.

“We have blocked them from our system so that they will not be able to make declaration and we

will not allow them to discharge their imports in any of our ports.“All these will be done

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preparatory to instituting full legal proceedings to compel them to pay what they owe Nigeria

when the courts are back from recess.

‟‟The customs public relations officer said the service was going to work with other agencies of

government to achieve this, saying that “an offence against one is an offence against all.‟‟He

appealed to genuine importers not to exercise any fear as this was not designed to witch-hunt

anyone.Adeniyi said that the exercise was only about enforcing payments that were legitimately

due to the Federal Government.These importers were beneficiaries of rice import quota policy

that specified a preferential duty rate of 10 per cent and levy of 20 per cent on their imports.

http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2015/07/31/n23-6bn-excess-levy-customs-seals-importers-

warehouses/

How Government Can Boost Agriculture’ 31 Jul 2015

Agriculture

Obinna Chima

Experts have stressed that

increased investment in

schemes aimed at subsidising

agricultural production is highly

required to boost agricultural

production in the country.While

commenting specifically on rice

production, analysts at CSL

Stockbrokers Limited, in a

report also noted the need for

greater commitment on the part

of the government to backward

integration polices.As part of a

new National Rice Intervention

Framework, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Tuesday that rice growers would now be

able to access loans at a maximum interest rate of nine per cent. The loans will be accessed under

the micro, small, and medium enterprises scheme from the CBN through commercial banks. Rice

millers under the commercial agricultural credit scheme will also access loans to buy unsold

stock from farmers.

The CBN had on 23 June restricted importers of 40 physical items, which included rice, from

accessing US$ from the interbank market and bureaux de change. The CBN cited Nigeria‟s huge

and rising annual rice import bill as part of the reasons for the inclusion of rice on the restricted

list. Data from the CBN showed that from January 2012 to May 2015, the country spent over

$2.4 billion (N482 billion) on rice importation to the disadvantage of domestic rice growers and



integrated rice millers.But the CSL report pointed out: “It is surprising that despite Nigeria‟s rich

farmland, the country remains a net importer of rice and other crops. We believe that increased

investment in schemes aimed at subsidising agricultural production and greater commitment on

the part of the government to backward integration polices can help boost the agricultural

sector.”Since 2011 the government has been making substantial efforts to encourage the

domestic cultivation of rice and to completely eliminate imports using incentives such as

subsidised loans, cheap fertiliser, free farm land, and, tax rebates. The government‟s efforts to

boost domestic production have, however, been curtailed by smuggled imports, which were

selling for between 25-40 per cent lower than locally-produced rice last year.

Tags: Business, Nigeria, Featured, Agriculture

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-how-government-can-boost-agriculture-/216120/

Scientists Develop New Eco-Friendly Rice Variety

IN RSS4 / BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN / ON JULY 31, 2015 AT 12:08 AM /

A big science discovery is recently obtained, as scientists have excelled wheat and build a

genetically adapted diversity that in fact unleashes constantly less methane straight into the

environmental surroundings.The new Eco-friendly advance kind is specified in an study. The

discoveries associated with this astounding venture have already been found in the official

notebook Nature therefore even that the wheat class exhibits valid likely to use on the fight

global warming.Rice fields are among the biggest forms of methane around the market,

particularly because augment are so needed for the success of millions of people. Due in to ever

better population, wheat plants happen to gaining variety great over the last few decade,

primarily growing the methane publication with them.

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The group of world experts which has provide you with this amazing wide variety is enacting

arena assessments installed for four years…

http://www.vocalrepublic.com/scientists-develop-new-eco-friendly-rice-variety/33948/

The rice industry should target the animal feeds industry

Dear Editor,

Like the myriad of concerned Guyanese, I have been following the vicissitudes of the rice sector,

and like most, if not all, look forward to the early resolution of the circumscribing factors. While

the National Rice Industry Conference was instructive, and at least in a cursory manner

addressed the crop‟s sustainable development, I am of the view that a key factor is being

overlooked, viz, the diversification of production to target the needs of the animal feed industry.

The latter, to my mind, illogically spends a lot of foreign exchange on the importation of corn.

Now, from a nutritional viewpoint, corn like rice is basically a carbohydrate concentrate. The

only advantage of yellow corn over rice is its pro-vitamin A content which is necessary for the

yellowing of the egg yolk; this can be cheaply substituted for anyway.

Against this background, it seems prudent that the rice industry czars in collaboration with the

animal feed manufacturers determine an acreage for the cultivation of short grain varieties (or

other IRRI recently developed varieties), which are generally higher yielding than the long grain

varieties currently cultivated for human consumption. As an animal feed, the amount of milling

necessary will be minimal as only the fibrous husk will need to be removed; there will be

absolutely no need for polishing. The resultant savings in processing will therefore further

redound to the benefit of the rice millers, who may then share the bonanza with the farmers.

The industry can then concentrate on satisfying a diversified local market for grain for human

consumption, for animal feeds, and for blended flours à la Banks DIH; Caricom may then

become the major external market.

Yours faithfully,

V O M McPherson

Animal Production Scientist

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/07/31/the-rice-industry-should-target-the-animal-

feeds-industry/

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures



CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 31

Month Price Net Change

September 2015 $11.515 + $0.080

November 2015 $11.775 + $0.075

January 2016 $12.050 + $0.080

March 2016 $12.255 + $0.075

May 2016 $12.440 + $0.075

July 2016 $12.440 + $0.075

September 2016 $11.950 UNCH

Mississippi Holds Farm Bureau Summer Rice Grower

Meeting and Field Day

Ward talks trade to a packed house in Mississippi

STONEVILLE, MS -- The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Summer Rice Grower Policy

Meeting was held yesterday, and USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward and Government

Affairs Vice President Ben Mosley were featured speakers. Ward spoke about the extensive

promotion programs USA Rice conducts in 30 global markets and about exciting developments

in new and developing markets around the world."Exports are vital for our industry which is why

we are working so hard to secure access in Iraq, protect our Mexican market, and to open the

Cuban and Chinese markets in viable ways," she told the crowd.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019bH_GK44B9JFgBCkasHgxu5rhyKMyfLQXTxvVnMZD1zOihu3LGUurH3Yr25LpRiTf4sKBUGZtmiIsG4tjLOKelB5Uo_3gFoFf6XeVeal2q6tLlPqLVeGq6xykO6fY0ThI-V8j4CiIYslxLuricZ_-5b5vWCYXFRTYIa3A-WA2Wrvz1BpQ8T4Yg5cCTz3XXC-NGL2oF3h9tyFb32_wo17Es0PBNqPAAmp508mCfGRIwcxWfkYYKEMyObqdO9wpM-g8SNtaihfJDG3yv8K3nU_3k3-6lEptmTEhVaDziVhzgYTNPMVPjLtF1am1ZsnScN7BpIzNfDj9SxwmIy3KO-9Kcf222FPCVuLcHf6mzmx9QJXYDoosANCD7EF8NlKuby9aABUamQZruJ5H87K35CqkZq5dsEbuww6rbag59n2k-VPG_7XaFUGTLCLNA-eY2p4ZTwT6108Pc1AjMJblmQW5RCgZvsSTvxM&c=0Qb5ttunoktG-G9H5n3zQyqpWtstsPJoFNrU70a48GsEea-6ES7qYg==&ch=NsW4n9zH1z1Df-R7d1cMD6PxoNWo-MfwjLZIyINByaVXPsMQHWnJJg==



Mosley provided updates on Congressional outreach being conducted by USA Rice. "We are

continuously meeting with our friends in Congress and also educating new Members to ensure

our rice priorities are well understood," he said.Mosely also reminded attendees about 2014 Farm

Bill provisions that USA Rice aggressively advocated for such as Price Loss Coverage and the

new crop insurance products, Supplemental Coverage Option, and Margin Protection."We're

working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and their Farm Service Agency and

Risk Management Agency to ensure these programs work to the best benefit of rice

farmers."USA Rice staff also attended the Mississippi Rice Promotion Board meeting and the

Mississippi Rice Field Day at the conclusion of the Farm Bureau Grower Meeting.

Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541 July 31, 2015 3:33 pm

Crop engineering: Can green rice help save the planet?

Scientists develop the new SUSIBA2 strain which gives higher yields and results in less methane

ethane is the most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and a significant contributor to

global warming. And rice paddies are the largest single source of methane linked to human

activity.So a report in the journal Nature of a new “high-starch, low-methane” rice, which gives

higher yields than existing varieties while generating less methane, could provide an opportunity

for more sustainable rice cultivation.FirstFT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best



stories from across the webA team of Chinese and Swedish scientists developed the new

SUSIBA2 strain by transferring a single regulatory gene from barley to rice.

The result is a plant that adds more starch above ground to its grains and stems, while

incorporating less in its roots.Rice paddies are powerful sources of methane because of the

methanogenic bacteria that live among the plant roots. To simplify the complex biochemistry,

the new genetically modified variety provides less food for these soil microbes, particularly as

the roots decay after harvest, so they generate less methane.Field trials of SUSIBA2 over three

years in China confirm a reduction in methane, which the researchers measured by covering the

paddies with transparent gas-collection chambers.

The genetically modified plants packed more starch into their grains (86.9 per cent by weight)

than conventional controls (76.7 per cent).Commenting on the study, Paul Bodelier, a microbial

ecologist at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, gives SUSIBA2 a warm welcome while

warning that more research will be needed to assess the longer-term effects of rebalancing starch

between rice roots, stems and grains. The researchers, he says, “have achieved the feat of making

high-starch rice available, and this will spur scientists worldwide to conduct experiments to

verify whether this variety will enable more sustainable cultivation of the crop that feeds half the

human population

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/677caa5e-3565-11e5-b05b-b01debd57852.html

The rice industry should target the animal feeds industry

Dear Editor,

Like the myriad of concerned Guyanese, I have been following the vicissitudes of the rice sector,

and like most, if not all, look forward to the early resolution of the circumscribing factors. While

the National Rice Industry Conference was instructive, and at least in a cursory manner

addressed the crop‟s sustainable development, I am of the view that a key factor is being

overlooked, viz, the diversification of production to target the needs of the animal feed industry.

The latter, to my mind, illogically spends a lot of foreign exchange on the importation of corn.

Now, from a nutritional viewpoint, corn like rice is basically a carbohydrate concentrate. The

only advantage of yellow corn over rice is its pro-vitamin A content which is necessary for the

yellowing of the egg yolk; this can be cheaply substituted for anyway.

Against this background, it seems prudent that the rice industry czars in collaboration with the

animal feed manufacturers determine an acreage for the cultivation of short grain varieties (or

other IRRI recently developed varieties), which are generally higher yielding than the long grain

varieties currently cultivated for human consumption. As an animal feed, the amount of milling

necessary will be minimal as only the fibrous husk will need to be removed; there will be



absolutely no need for polishing. The resultant savings in processing will therefore further

redound to the benefit of the rice millers, who may then share the bonanza with the farmers.

The industry can then concentrate on satisfying a diversified local market for grain for human

consumption, for animal feeds, and for blended flours à la Banks DIH; Caricom may then

become the major external market.

Yours faithfully,

V O M McPherson

Animal Production Scientist

By

Staff Writer

July 31, 2015

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/07/31/the-rice-industry-should-target-the-animal-

feeds-industry/

Wanted: Proposals for sustainable rice production July 31, 2015 11:28 pm

by BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON

The Philippines and the United Kingdom have joined forces to support research projects that will

boost resilience and sustainability of rice production in Southeast Asia.In a statement, the UK

Embassy on Friday said “food security is one of the greatest global challenges we currently

face.”To address this, the UK collaborated with four countries in Asia–China, the Philippines,

Thailand and Vietnam.“In a country where rice is a main part of almost every meal, enhancing

rice production is a major priority.

The headlines report that El Niño may be the most intense the country has experienced in recent

years. Studies have shown that climate change will have a devastating effect on food security if it

is not addressed now,” British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said.“Unli [unlimited] rice may no

longer be a promo offer. This project will help farmer productivity and enhance trading in rice,

when necessary. We encourage all researchers who are working toward the adequate supply of

this staple food to submit their applications to the Newton Fund,” he added.The British Embassy

in Manila has been calling for proposals on collaborative inter-disciplinary research that will



focus on long-term sustainable production of rice, as well as utilizing combined strengths of

academic research groups within China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK.This

initiative is supported by the UK Government‟s Newton Fund, which helps build science and

innovation partnerships with key emerging economies.

The UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK BBSRC) and the UK

Natural Environment Research Council, in collaboration with Philippine Partners Department of

Science and Technology Philippine Council for Agriculture Aquatic and Natural Resources

Research & Development (DOST-PCAARD) and the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rice

Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) are calling for submissions of research proposals that will

address the following challenges in the Philippine context: greater resilience to biotic and abiotic

stresses; improved resource use efficiency (including Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Water); improved

quality of rice (including nutritional enhancement and grain quality); utilization of rice by-

products; novel research tool and technology development supporting the above areas (including

systems biology, bioinformatics, screening and characterization of germplasm for gene and trait

discovery).

These priority areas in sustainable rice research have been agreed though a regional workshop in

Bangkok in April, which brought together relevant funding agencies, key research organizations

and leading academics from China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK.The proposed

projects should be up to a maximum duration of three years and will require

a UK Principal Investigator as well as a Philippine Principal Investigator with the options of

additional Principal Investigators from other partner countries.The deadline for submission of

applications is on August 13, 2015.For more information on this opportunity, the embassy invites

researchers to visit the UK BBSRC website at

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/opportunities/2015/newton-fund-joint-call-in-rice-research.

Breaking news and analysis from the world of science policy

GOLDEN RICE HUMANITARIAN BOARD

Worth its weight in gold? Golden rice (right) protects against vitamin A deficiency in children.

Golden rice paper retracted after legal bid fails



Staff Writer

Email Erik

By Erik Stokstad

31 July 2015 3:00 pm

A controversial study that showed genetically engineered golden rice could

alleviate vitamin A deficiency in children was retracted by theAmerican

Journal of Clinical Nutrition on 29 July, nearly 2 years after investigations

found problems with how the study had been conducted. Supporters of golden

rice are dismayed by the outcome, first reportedby Retraction Watch, but they

point out that the data and conclusions remain robust.

Vitamin A deficiency is a major health problem in the developing world, causing blindness and

impairing the immune system, particularly in children. Golden rice was first developed in the

1990s as a way to supplement diets lacking in vitamin A. Researchers added genes to allow rice

mailto:?subject=Golden%20rice%20paper%20retracted%20after%20legal%20bid%20fails

http://news.sciencemag.org/author/erik-stokstad

http://asn-cdn-remembers.s3.amazonaws.com/1d824e3113c0f75a8a9924081aca2052.pdf

http://retractionwatch.com/2015/07/30/golden-rice-paper-pulled-after-judge-rules-for-journal/



to make beta-carotene, a precursor molecule for vitamin A synthesis. In 2008, Guangwen Tang

of Tufts University organized a nutritional trial of golden rice. Working with colleagues in

China, the researchers gave golden rice, spinach, or a supplement to 68 children aged 6 to 8 in

Hunan province.

The findings, published in 2012, showed that the beta-carotene in golden rice was just as

effective at alleviating vitamin A deficiency in children. A single serving of 100 to 150 grams of

golden rice could provide about 60% of the daily requirement of vitamin A. The paper is one of

several cited by IRRI, the nonprofit rice research institute in the Philippines, assupport for the

potential of golden rice.Shortly after the paper was published, Greenpeace claimed that the

children had been used as “guinea pigs.” Media outrage in China exploded, and Tufts began

inquiries by internal and external panels.

In September 2013, the panels reported multiple irregularities; for example, several consent

forms had been received after the trial began. (The panels also concluded that the study had been

safe and its conclusions valid.) The university announced it would bar Tang from working with

human subjects for 2 years.Last year, Tang asked the Massachusetts Superior Court to stop

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from retracting the article, arguing it would constitute

defamation. Judge Kenneth Salinger denied the petition on 17 July and the journal proceeded

to retract the study, citing insufficient evidence for approval by an ethics committee in China and

consent forms from all participants.

Tang did not reply to a request for comment, but Adrian Dubock, executive secretary of the

Golden Rice Humanitarian Board in Switzerland disputes that there were any ethical

irregularities and argues that the retraction is not warranted. He says it‟s too soon to assess the

impact of the retraction on political support for golden rice. “This is a low point, but I think it‟s

recoverable.” Tang and her co-authors could resubmit the paper elsewhere, and Dubock says this

option had been discussed earlier. “I think they will,” he says.

Posted in Asia/Pacific, People & Events

http://news.sciencemag.org/asiapacific/2015/07/golden-rice-paper-retracted-after-legal-bid-fails

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/3/658.long

http://irri.org/golden-rice/faqs/why-are-human-nutrition-studies-on-golden-rice-necessary-what-have-they-shown

http://news.sciencemag.org/asiapacific/2013/09/golden-rice-not-so-golden-tufts

http://news.sciencemag.org/asiapacific/2014/07/researcher-sues-block-retraction-golden-rice-paper

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/07/29/ajcn.114.093229.full.pdf+html

http://www.goldenrice.org/PDFs/Dubock-Politics_of_GR-2014.pdf

http://news.sciencemag.org/category/asiapacific

http://news.sciencemag.org/category/people-events



N. Korean rice yields down 12%: UN FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization says production of rice, maize and other crops hit by drought

July 31st, 2015

Leo Byrne

Rice yields in North Korea will be approximately 12 percent lower this year than in 2014,

according to a new report from the UN‟s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).The FAO

estimated North Korea rice production this year would fall to 2.2 million tons.The UN

organization attributed the low rainfall, which eased in July, to the El Niño ocean current which

had similar effects in other countries around Asia.“The dry spell from mid-April to early July

over the central and southern „food basket‟ provinces of the country, coupled with extreme low

irrigation water availability, have resulted in area planted reductions of the 2015 staple rice crop

and adversely affected yield potential of early-planted crops, including also maize and

soybeans,” the report reads.

The FAO added that the increasing rainfall in July came too late to undo the damage done by the

drought.Although the FAO has little data to work with, they estimated maize yields would

decrease by 15 percent compared to the previous year. However, the DPRK has enjoyed

relatively good production of maize in recent years, indicating this year‟s production might not

be disastrously low.The report notes damage to maize crops may have been offset this year by

“the Government‟s efforts to provide supplementary irrigation through mass mobilization of

people.”The UN‟s World Food Program (WFP) had higher estimates for the drought‟s effect on

DPRK rice production.

http://www.nknews.org/content_author/leo-byrne/

http://www.fao.org/3/a-I4829E.pdf



“The 18 month drought, which included one of the lowest rainfalls on record for the month of

May, will likely affect agricultural production and food security. Close to 30 percent of paddy

cultivation in some areas has been impacted by the drought,” Damian Kean, Asia press officer

for the WFP told NK News.The World Food Programme received extra aid from numerous donor

countries this year, including Russia, which upped its donations to $4 million.

While many aid agencies agree the drought appeared more severe in 2015, the extent of its

effects on yields may be difficult to estimate until harvest time.“There is a lot of time until the

harvesting season so we should not take FAO‟s report to be completely accurate. We will not be

able to confirm the production of maize and rice because maize is harvested in mid-August and

rice is harvested in mid-September,” Kwon Tae-jin at the GS & J Institute told NK News.On July

21, DPRK state media announced coming rain fall in North Korea. The Korean Central News

Agency article predicted “heavy rainfall” in the last week of July.

Featured Image: Harvest Workers in a North Korean Rice Field by Ray Cunningham on 2014-09-15 09:07:38

Nigeria: State, Others to Import 760,000 Tonnes of Thai Rice

Sept

By Daniel Adugbo With Agency Report

The government of Thailand has struck preliminary deals to export a total of 760,000 tonnes

from its huge stockpiles to several countries in Africa.The Thai Rice Exporters Association said

Wednesday the rice will be supplied to Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa.This is coming

despite the ban placed on importers of rice, and other items from the official foreign exchange

market by the Central Bank of Nigeria.Reuters quoted Chukiat Opaswong, honorary president of

the association, in a phone interview from Johannesburg, saying most of the rice going to Africa

is parboiled and shipments will start in September.The rice would be sold at around $430 a tonne

netting the government more than $325 million.

Nigeria is one of the major importers of the commodity from Thailand importing about one

million tonnes of rice valued at about $700 million every year.Central Bank of Nigeria Governor

Mr. Godwin Emefiele had on Tuesday bemoaned the high bill on rice importation which had

resulted in huge unsold stock of rice cultivated by indigenous farmers as well as low operating

capacities of the many integrated rice mills in the country.A research by Bloomberg revealed that

Thailand Government currently holds around 17.8 milliom tons in stock piles and was keen on

selling 10 million tons of stockpiled rice in 2015 and around seven million in 2016 through

tenders.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201507310454.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25564641@N08/15321110235