NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON Environmental Assessment, Procedures, Methodologies & Legislation 13 January 2018 Ambassador Hotel, Lahore Organized by The Environ Monitor & National Foundation for Environmental Education & Research
The Environ Monitor (Leading Environmental Journal of Pakistan) and National Foundation for Environmental Education & Research aim at creating environmental awareness among the masses and equipping the professionals, researchers and executives with state-of-the-art know-how about Nature, environment, safety, health & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).National Workshop on Environmental Assessment, Procedures, Methodologies & Legislation has been planned in Ambassador Hotel Lahore on 13 January 2018 (0800-1500 hours). National & global professionals of high repute with vast practical experience will make presentations.
We seek your active participation in this workshop. Information flyer is attached for your reference. The online/bank draft/pay order of Registration Fee may be issued in favour of The Environ Monitor A/c Number 0270100060357, Askari Bank LCCHS Lahore Cantt Branch 324-Z Phase-III DHA, Lahore Cantt.
Environmentally yours
Engineer Colonel (R) Mumtaz Hussain
Workshop Coordinator
Environment Consultant and Chief Editor The Environ Monitor
W-715, Defence Housing Authority Lahore. 54792 Pakistan
Phone 92-42-35693401 Mobile: 0333-4319936
NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON Environmental Assessment, Procedures, Methodologies & Legislation
13 January 2018 Ambassador Hotel, Lahore Organized by The Environ Monitor & National Foundation for Environmental Education & Research PREAMBLE The Environ Monitor (Leading Environmental Journal of Pakistan) and National Foundation for Environmental Education & Research aim at creating environmental awareness among the masses and equipping the professionals, researchers and executives with state-of-the-art know-how about the environment & CSR. National Workshop on Environmental Assessment, Procedures, Methodologies & Legislation has been planned at Lahore on 13 January 2018 (0800-1500 hours). Workshop will encompass presentations, free and frank discussions & consultations, case studies and exercises. Professionals with vast practical experience will conduct the workshop. Environmental Assessment study of a development project is mandatory requirement under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997. International monetary agencies do not provide funds for the projects which are not supported with the environmental reports. The relevant echelons need be familiar with multifarious environmental aspects. The planners, executives and environmental and social managers should be fully conversant with the nuts & bolts of environmental assessment studies and relevant legislation. OBJECTIVES
To provide a professional platform for dissemination of the latest researches about the obligations of environmental assessment and allied legislation.
To highlight environmental issues, impacts and present their mitigation with regard to development projects. To create environmental and socio-economic-cultural awareness among the stakeholders. To provide opportunity to engineers, scientists, technologists, senior management and administrators to familiarize with the latest practices and techniques for conducting environmental studies & legislation. SUBJECTS TO BE COVERED  Types of environmental assessment (EA)  EA Procedures and Methodologies  Formats of IEE and EIA Reports  EA of Development Projects like Hydropower, Thermal, Road, Housing Schemes, Multi-storey Buildings, Commercial Centres, Shopping Malls, Businesses and Industries.  Occupational Health & Safety  Safety, Health and Environment Policy of Companies  Policy, Institutional and Legal Framework  Environmental Legislation & Public Documents  International Regulations and Safety Codes  Resettlement issues  Case Studies and Exercises PARTICIPATION  Environmental scientists, academia and NGOs  Representatives of public and private sectors dealing with water and power projects and other nation building departments.  Senior and middle management of industries & businesses.  Environment consultants and legal practitioners.  Environmental, Safety, Health and Quality Managers of companies.  CSR Managers of corporate sector.
REGISTRATION  Corporate: Rs.6,000/- per delegate  Academia: Rs.2,500/-per person  Online/Bank draft/Pay Order in favour of The Environ Monitor. A/c # 0270100060357 Askari Bank LCCHS Lahore Cantt Branch 324-Z Phase-III DHA, Lahore Cantt  Certificates will be awarded to participants. WORKSHOP HANDOUT Especially prepared workshop handout will be provided to all participants.
Engineer Colonel (R) Mumtaz Hussain Environment House, W-715 Defence Housing Authority, Lahore 54792 Phone 92-42-35693401 Mobile: 0333-4319936, 4256014, 4618543 Email: theenvironmonitor@gmail.com REGISTRATION FORM 1. Name of Participant 2. Affiliation 3. Tel 4. Cell 5. Postal Address 6. Email 7. Registration fee paid through Online / Bank Draft/ Pay Order/Cash in favour of The Environ Monitor. No Date 8. Signature and Date
2 Attachments
9th December,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine
U.S. Ag to USTR: Defend U.S. Agriculture at WTO Ministerial Meeting
By Bob Cummings
WASHINGTON, DC -- While the media's trade attention is on the U.S.-China trade deficit or efforts to modernize the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to hold its 11th Ministerial Meeting next week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ministerials happen every two years and are important because they chart the course and work plan of the organization.
USA Rice and many U.S. commodity groups sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer Thursday, urging a strong U.S. stand at the Ministerial in the areas of domestic agricultural support, public stockholding, and dispute settlement.
"We've seen a weakening in the past two Ministerials in the WTO's resolve to hold major agricultural producers to their domestic support obligations while rhetoric increases for more disciplines on the United States," said Bobby Hanks, of Supreme Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. "In leading the U.S. delegation in Buenos Aires, we urge Ambassador Lighthizer to hold countries to their domestic support obligations and to oppose attempts to weaken disciplines on domestic price supports through public stockholding programs. It's also important that the United States support a dispute settlement mechanism in the WTO to hold accountable those who are not living up to their obligations."
Even though the WTO as a negotiating venue has come under increasing criticism because of its failure to complete the long-running Doha Round of trade negotiations, past market opening benefits of the organization have been substantial for U.S. agriculture and U.S. rice, and the WTO's dispute settlement system remains the only viable mechanism to enforce WTO rules.
The United States is currently challenging China's domestic support program for corn, wheat, and rice in the WTO, and victory would likely have significant positive effects on other heavy subsidizers like India and Thailand, which are U.S. export competitors.
Arsenic in infant rice cereals compared with lead exposure
BY DAN FLYNN | DECEMBER 8, 2017
To view a larger version of the graphic, please click on the image.
Infant rice cereals are popular with parents because they are affordable, easy to digest, and unlikely to cause allergic reactions. Infants typically begin eating cereals when they are between 4 and 6 months old.
But, rice absorbs more arsenic from soil and water than other grains used for infant cereals; about 10 times more. Consequently, the level of arsenic in infant rice cereals is an ongoing concern among researchers and some public health advocates. Some are comparing the danger from arsenic with the dangers of children's exposure to lead.
A new report by activist health researchers credits cereal makers for limiting arsenic levels in infant rice cereals since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's most recent study, which was for 2013-14.
Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), an alliance of scientists, nonprofits and donors, published the report. It found 85 ppb (parts per billion) of arsenic, on average in rice cereals tested in 2016-17. That's about a 21 percent improvement over FDA's 2013-14 average of 103 ppb.
But HBBF says arsenic in nine favorite brands of infant rice cereal is still too high in light of "growing science on arsenic' toxicity at low levels…" Arsenic toxicity, according to the new report, causes lung, bladder and skin cancer. It also retards neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero or during the first few years of life.
The findings include an analysis by Abt Associates, an economic and toxicology research group, that shows rice-based foods are resulting in a loss of 9.2 million IQ points among 0- to 6-year-old children. Lower IQs will decrease lifetime wages for those children when they are adults, costing the United States an estimated $12 billion to $18 billion annually, according to the report.
The FDA should have already taken high-arsenic cereals off store shelves, according to HBBF.
"It hasn't happened," the report says. "FDA is, in a word, stalled. More than a year after issuing its 2016 draft guidance to cereal makers — the culmination of four years of assessment — FDA is falling short of protecting infants."
HBBF says FDA has neither set a final limit for arsenic in rice cereal nor finalized the cap proposed in the draft guidance.
Arsenic levels in drinking water are strictly regulated, but there are no limits for infant rice cereal.
The new report is described as "parent-friendly" because it reviews 105 kinds of infant cereal showing non-rice and multi-grain cereals that contain as much as 84 percent less arsenic than leading brands of infant rice cereals. It says these alternatives are "reliable and affordable."
Source: Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF)
While calling upon FDA to "act immediately to set an enforceable, health-based limit for arsenic in infant rice cereal and other rice-based foods, the report also called upon cereal makers to implement changes.
"We found no evidence to suggest that any brand has reduced arsenic levels in rice cereal to amounts comparable to those found in other types of cereal, despite at least five years of significant public attention to the issue that has included widespread consumer alerts and proposed federal action level," according to the report.
The study — funded by the Forsythia and Passport Foundations and The John Merck Fund — warns parents to avoid rice-only infant cereals entirely. "Non-rice and multi-grain alternatives have lower arsenic contamination, and are a healthier choice," the nonprofit organization recommends.
Additional information about arsenic is available at FDA's main arsenic page and at Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products.
"Rice has higher levels of inorganic arsenic than other foods, in part because as rice plants grow, the plant and grain tend to absorb arsenic more readily than other food crops," according to the FDA website.
"In April 2016, the FDA proposed an action level, or limit, of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. This level, which is based on the FDA's assessment of a large body of scientific information, seeks to reduce infant exposure to inorganic arsenic. The agency also has developed advice on rice consumption for pregnant women and the caregivers of infants," according to the FDA website.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/12/arsenic-in-infant-rice-cereals-compared-with-lead-exposure/#.WiuvK1WWaM9
LT Foods looking to strengthen presence of Daawat in European market
Saturday, 09 December, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
Our Bureau, New Delhi
LT Foods, an emerging global food company with a focus on Basmati and other specialty rice, organic foods and convenience rice-based products and a presence in over 65 countries, has extended their strategy for the critical European market, including the United Kingdom, by launching the new avatar of their leading brand, Daawat.
The company is extensively working on expanding its geographical footprints and product portfolio in these markets, and plans to invest $20 million. It has targeted an increase in sales from the current 5,000 tonne to 30,000 tonne in the branded segment over the next four years.
Additionally, this move will benefit 5,000 farmer families in India, as the raw material would be sourced from the country. Vijay Kumar Arora, chairman, LT Foods, said, "This move is in line with the strategic intent of the company to make Daawat a trusted and household name in the European region using raw material from India."
"We have a well-devised strategy in place to achieve this target. Over the next two years, we are eyeing a market share of five per cent in the branded segment of this region with distribution expansion and continuous brand investments. This will help to take the growth to the next level and achieve the aspired targets," he added.
Additionally, all Daawat rice variants, including Quick Cooking Brown Rice, Original Basmati Rice and Extra Long Basmati Rice, will sport a new look and feel and be on the shelves from March 2018.
Driven by an internal study to understand the international standard and customer desires, LT Foods decided to undertake this initiative, which will help people to obtain more information on the brand's customer benefits.
LT Foods has been focusing on Europe as the next growth region, and has recently opened a new plant in the Dutch city of Rotterdam to cater to both Europe and the United Kingdom.
The occasion was graced by the Indian ambassador to the Netherlands. Over 100 ethnic distributors attended the event.
http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/lt-foods-looking-to-strengthen-presence-of-daawat-in-european-market-41483
Arkansas Pesticide Committee considers cotton, rice herbicides
Specter of dicamba drift still looms large
David Bennett | Dec 08, 2017
In late November, the Arkansas Plant Board Pesticide Committee held a hearing on two Dow herbicides. On a three-to-one vote, Enlist One, to be used with 2,4-D-tolerant cotton, was recommended out of committee for use in 2018. Following concerns from applicators regarding a portion of the federal label, a recommendation for Loyant, a rice herbicide, was not offered pending potential further action by the EPA.
"Enlist One contains the same 2,4-D choline salt that's in Dow's Enlist Duo. It just doesn't have the glyphosate component as a pre-mix," says Tom Barber, University of Arkansas weed scientist. "So, it's the single product — 2,4-D Choline — only."
The board members, says Barber, were concerned with volatility of the 2,4-D product and wanted to make sure university weed scientists have studied Enlist One. "And we have. They'd already cleared Enlist Duo, and it was available for use last year."
Following the mass of dicamba drift complaints, the committee's cautious approach regarding Enlist One is understandable. Indeed, as a basis for scrutiny the lone no vote cited the desire not to see a repeat of the 950-plus dicamba complaints this year.
"2,4-D has the ability to take out crops in short order," says Barber. "It's a shame, but in talking about new herbicide products you can't put aside what's happened with dicamba. Everyone is a little shell-shocked and, since cotton is so sensitive to 2,4-D, you can see why there wasn't a unanimous vote.
"And there are still folks who remember back in 2006 when cotton was drifted on from miles away. 2,4-D was reportedly sprayed into an inversion, and it was carried that far."
Such events should not be a problem because "the 2,4-D/choline product shows significantly less volatility than the older salt formulations."
This year, "there were some discussions about 2,4-D damage complaints on cotton with some Enlist Duo applications," says Barber. "But none of them that were discussed at the meeting had come into the Plant Board but to Dow. The Dow representative went through those physical drift claims up to 300 feet, but the farmer had sprayed when the wind was blowing towards the neighbor. That's a label violation because it says you can't spray if (a sensitive crop) is downwind in an adjacent field."
"We've conducted volatility testing on Enlist One using low tunnel experiments and everything appears to look good thus far," says Jason Norsworthy, University of Arkansas weed scientist. "We did observe slight symptoms on cotton, but the extent of the symptoms were less than the degree of damage to soybean seen from the volatility of Xtendimax and Engenia in the same trial.
Physical drift
"I'd caution against saying anything has zero risk, but based on the work we've done, physical drift would seem to be more of a concern than volatility for Enlist One.
"We do know that cotton is extremely sensitive to 2,4-D, and the 2,4-D choline in Enlist One is still 2,4-D and will cause considerable damage to non-Enlist cotton if drifted onto the crop."
Queried about the Enlist One label, Norsworthy says it is "as I understand it, very similar to the Enlist Duo, with a few exceptions."
A "positive attribute" Norsworthy notes about Enlist One over Enlist Duo "is the ability to tank-mix with Liberty or other generic glufosinate products (Cheetah, Interline, etc.), allowing two effective modes of action to be applied simultaneously for control of glyphosate-resistant pigweed. Enlist Duo cannot be tank-mixed with glufosinate."
How much Enlist One might be used in 2018?
"You never really know what will happen with a new product until it goes out on a lot of acres," says Barber. "Of course, there will be considerably more interest in Enlist soybeans once they receive Chinese import approval. According to company forecast estimates approximately 18 percent of cotton acres could be planted to Enlist cotton in 2018."
Loyant
The committee also considered Dow's Loyant, a new rice herbicide. A problem with the label — brought up by Dennie Stokes, an east Arkansas aerial applicator — meant no action was taken.
"As an applicator, I have to worry about what could happen outside the target field," says Stokes, who also represents state aerial applicators on the Plant Board. "Aerial applicators need to be able to do the job we're hired and trained to do.
"Let me say this: Loyant is a fine product, and we need it. What we don't need are any problems right off the bat."
There were two or three things Stokes wanted the board to address with Loyant. The proposed state label obviously has to follow the federal guidelines, although states can be more restrictive.
"First, I didn't want the applicators to have the label put us in a box," says Stokes. "The label as proposed was a bit too restrictive. They had a boom pressure setting that was too low at 30 psi. We want the best droplet size to do the most efficient job, not drift and clean up weeds. Again, that's our job as aerial applicators, and that's what we've been trained to do."
To their credit, says Stokes, the regulators and Dow "were agreeable to our points. They understood what the concerns were, and they're now in the process of making those changes."
Adds Norsworthy: "There seems to be a question regarding the maximum pressure of 30 psi on the current label. The Pesticide Committee was told droplet studies in the wind tunnel that were sent to the EPA and tank-mix studies of Loyant with Command conducted in Arkansas were at 40 psi. It is my understanding that this is a situation that Dow AgroSciences will try and resolve with the EPA through a possible modification to the label."
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/weeds/arkansas-pesticide-committee-considers-cotton-rice-herbicides
Arsenic in baby food: Study finds high levels in popular name-brand cereals
By Eric Ting, SFGATE
Published 10:20 am, Friday, December 8, 2017
Rice cereals contain six times more arsenic than cereals made from other grains, such as barley, corn or wheat.
Infant rice cereals have been known to contain high arsenic levels, and a new study reveals that little has been done to reduce the amount of arsenic found in these products.
The study, conducted by an an alliance of scientists, non-profits and donors called Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), finds that rice cereals contain six times more arsenic than cereals made from other grains, such as barley, corn or wheat.
Beech-Nut, Gerber, BioKinetics, Earth's Best, Nestle and Little Duck Organics were among nine major brands found to sell rice cereals with high arsenic content.
MORE: Analysis Finds Lead in 20% of Baby Food Samples
According to the study, rice absorbs 10 times more arsenic from soil and water than other grains do, and as a result, rice cereals contain an average arsenic level of 85 parts per billion. This number is actually down from an average of 103 parts per billion in 2014, but HBBF believes that more needs to be done to reduce arsenic levels. For reference, the EPA's arsenic standard for drinking water is 10 parts per billion.
Now Playing: Baby Food Products Test Positive For Arsenic
Including 80% of baby formulas.
Media: Fortune
"Widespread concern and public pressure – combined with growing science on arsenic's toxicity at low doses – should have spurred the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the cereal industry to take high-arsenic cereals off store shelves," the study states. "It hasn't happened."
The study continues: "[The] FDA is, in a word, stalled. More than a year after issuing its 2016 draft guidance to cereal makers – the culmination of four years of assessment – FDA is falling short of protecting infants. It has not set a final limit for arsenic in rice cereal."
Rice cereals are a popular choice because of their affordability, digestibility, and unlikelihood of causing allergic reactions.
"Arsenic is strictly regulated in drinking water, but is legal in any amount in infant rice cereal," the study states. "It is a potent human carcinogen and a neurotoxin shown to permanently reduce children's IQ."
A spokesperson for Gerber, one of the brands mentioned in the study, told SFGATE in a statement that their rice cereals are safe to eat.
"We want to reassure parents that Gerber rice cereals are safe," the statement says. "Every ingredient we use in our baby foods—rice included—must meet our rigorous standards, which align with the best available government guidance. We also have our own standards for safety and quality that go beyond government requirements."
The full results of the study can be found here.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/arsenic-levels-baby-food-rice-cereal-infant-12416600.php
Damage to rice mill hurts Morelos growers
Earthquake struck at beginning of the harvest, dashing export plans
Mexico News Daily | Thursday, December 7, 2017
The rice industry is one of the most emblematic of the small state of Morelos but it too was a victim of the powerful September 19 earthquake that devastated parts of central Mexico.
The San José rice mill, the only one of its kind in the municipality of Jojutla, was badly damaged in the 7.1-magnitude quake. As a result, about 300 producers who process their grain at the mill are in danger of losing their livelihoods.
Two and a half months after the earthquake, evidence of the mill's destruction is still plain to see: broken pillars, collapsed walls, machinery rendered useless and storerooms full of rice that is unsellable because it is contaminated by dust and rubble.
A local rice farmer and the president of the rice growers' association in the south of the state told the newspaper Milenio that losses from the quake had risen to an estimated 30 million pesos (US $1.6 million).
But along with the other growers, Jesús Solís is determined to keep working and honor the brand name of the rice they produce: La Perseverancia de Jojutla or, in English, The Perseverance of Jojutla.
"In Jojutla, rice is our pride and our identity," he explained.
"Where we are going to get the resources from, I don't know, but we'll rebuild the mill," he declared.
Fortunately, the Morelos government has made an offer to buy new machinery and fund the conversion of an old mill into a rice museum to generate extra revenue.
In the meantime, the producers themselves are working to repair the damaged mill while continuing with their usual rice production as best they can.
It wasn't just the mill, however, that was affected by the earthquake but the growers' dreams of exporting their product as well.
The quake struck at the beginning of the annual harvest, just when growers were reaping their crops in preparation to enter the European market.
"We started having contact with Switzerland and there was a plan to go there to offer tastings. They wanted to buy 30 tonnes a month from us," Solís explained.
That plan is on the back burner now but given the state's yield potential and the quality of the internationally-renowned rice it produces, hopes are high that it won't be long before they get another chance.
"Morelos stands out for being the main producer of rice in Mexico by hectare. The national average is four tonnes, we get 10 tonnes," state Agricultural Development Secretary Roberto Ruiz said.
The affected growers are also being supported by a citizens' group in Mexico City, which has started selling their rice on Sundays outside a church in the Coyoacán borough to help raise funds to rebuild the mill.
"There are lines of people that arrive and buy 25 or 50 kilograms. The help is continuing but we can't let it cool down," said Denhi Rivera, one of the group's members.
Jojutla, located about 50 kilometers south of the state capital Cuernavaca, was the worst-affected municipality in Morelos, where 75 people lost their lives in the earthquake
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/damage-to-rice-mill-hurts-morelos-growers/
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- December 8, 2017
Reuters | Dec 8, 2017, 14:10 IST
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-December 8 Nagpur, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Gram prices shot up in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices, upward trend on NCDEX and repeated demand from South-based millers also helped to push up prices. About 250 bags of gram reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to sources. FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor. TUAR * Tuar gavarani reported down in open market on poor demand from local traders. * Batri dal firmed up in open market here on increased seasonal demand from local traders amid weak arrival from producing regions. * In Akola, Tuar New - 4,000-4,150, Tuar dal (clean) - 5,700-5,800, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,200-9,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,000-7,300, Gram - 4,525-4,675, Gram Super best - 7,300-7,500 * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,174-4,325 3,900-4,200 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction n.a. 3,400-3,880 Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,600-1,690 1,600-1,698 Gram Super Best Bold 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 6,000-6,400 6,000-6,400 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 4,550-4,600 4,550-4,600 Desi gram Raw 4,600-4,900 4,600-4,900 Gram Kabuli 12,400-13,000 12,400-13,000 Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300 Tuar Gavarani New 4,100-4,200 4,100-4,200 Tuar Karnataka 4,650-4,900 4,650-4,900 Masoor dal best 5,000-5,400 5,000-5,400 Masoor dal medium 4,700-4,900 4,600-4,800 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,200-7,600 7,200-7,600 Moong Mogar Medium 6,600-6,900 6,600-6,900 Moong dal Chilka 5,600-6,500 5,600-6,500 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,500 6,000-7,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,800 5,600-6,800 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,200-5,500 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,850-2,950 2,850-2,950 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 2,900-3,000 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,850 1,750-1,850 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,700 2,300-2,700 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,600 3,250-3,600 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,200 4,900-5,200 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,200-14,000 10,200-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,200-7,500 5,300-7,500 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,100 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,700-2,000 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 30.5 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 16.0 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 31 and 16 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-december-8-2017/articleshow/61978777.cms
Asia Rice: India Prices Rise as Demand From Bangladesh Offsets High Supply
Farmers plant rice saplings in a field in Shamli, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh July 19, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Anindito Mukherjee)
By : Koustav Samanta | on 3:00 AM December 08, 2017
Category : International, Asia-Pacific
Bengaluru. Rice prices in India climbed this week as strong demand from neighboring Bangladesh counteracted fresh supplies from a new season crop in the world's top exporter.
India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices rose by $4 per tonne to $406-$409.
"Bangladeshi demand has improved sentiment. That is nullifying the impact of higher supplies from the new crop," an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh said.
Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer this year after floods hit its crops, will import 150,000 tonnes of rice from India in a state deal priced at $440 a tonne, two food ministry officials said on Wednesday (06/12).
India's state-run National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) will supply the rice within 60 days after signing the deal, which will take place soon, the officials said.
Bangladesh has tried to secure supplies through India's state-run trading houses, which have floated tenders in the local market for procurement, the Kakinada-based exporter said.
The country had already sealed a deal with another state agency in India, PEC, to import 100,000 tonnes at $455 a tonne.
Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5 percent broken rice was quoted at $401-405 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, up from $395-$400 last week.
Demand remained relatively quiet in the world's second-biggest rice exporter as supply remains more or less constant despite some losses due to floods, traders said.
"I don't think prices of rice will rise any more substantially before the end of the year. Next year, however, we might see some government intervention," said a Bangkok-based trader.
The Ministry of Commerce has a target to export 11 million tonnes by the end of the year, and traders are optimistic the target could be reached within a plus-minus five percent range.
Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and other agencies will hold the Thai Rice Festival 2017 in Bangkok from Dec. 15-20. Traders expect this to have a positive effect on demand.
In Vietnam, the rice market continued to be quiet even as stocks remained low.
The country's 5 percent broken rice traded at $395 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Saigon, mostly unchanged from last week's $395-$398 range.
"We sold (5 percent broken rice) at $395 a tonne in a new private contract," a trader in Ho Chi Minh city said, but did not specify the buyer.
Traders were unsure when there would be new government-to-government deals, but the delivery of previous state contracts brought Vietnam's rice shipments closer to the target of 5.6 million tonnes in 2017.
http://jakartaglobe.id/international/asia-rice-india-prices-rise-demand-bangladesh-offsets-high-supply/
Rice prices may rise further as Aman harvest fails to tame market
Faisal Atik, Staff Correspondent bdnews24.com
Published: 2017-12-09 12:30:25.0 BdST Updated: 2017-12-09 12:30:25.0 BdST
Despite assurances that rice prices would fall after the Aman rice harvest, traders in Dhaka say the price of rice has gone up.
Though farmers are happy with the higher price, others worry that it may lead to a further price hike.
New rice retailed at about Tk 32-34 per kg last year, Mirpur-based rice trader Mohammad Mohiuddin Harun told bdnews24.com on Thursday. This year, the price is Tk 40-41 per kg.
Prices of a 50kg sack of coarse rice have risen to Tk 2,050-2,070 from Tk 2,000 in a week, he said.
"Accordingly, the prices of other types of rice have risen by around Tk 50 per sack in the past week," he said. "Compared to last year, a 50kg sack has risen in price by Tk 400."
Biplob Hossain, the manager of Badda's Satarkul Rice Agency, said prices may continue to rise.
"For the past few months, we believed rice prices would fall with the Aman harvest, as they have every year. But this hasn't happened."
"From experience we can say that there is a hike in the price of rice at the end of the season. Though farmers have gotten a good price this season, the market price has not fallen. We think the price may rise further at the end of the season."
Various factors have contributed to the high price of rice, including high tariffs on rice imports, the loss of Boro rice crops due to floods and the depletion in rice stocks. The price of coarse rice is currently Tk 55-58 per kg and fine grain rice is Tk 65-70.
On Sept 19, the retail price of fine grain rice fell to Tk 60 and coarse rice fell to Tk 40 after the government reached a deal with millers and traders on lowering the import tariff on rice. Traders had said they expected rice prices to fall after the Aman harvests.
But, on Nov 30, after the government announced that it would buy 300,000 tonnes of rice from the domestic market at Tk 40 per kg, the price of rice at the mill gates rose to Tk 41 per kg.
Millers say that, prior to the announcement of the government's purchase, the price of new rice was Tk 700-750 per maund, which was the price last season. The price of rice rose to Tk 900-1,000 per maund afterwards.
"Rice prices this year are good," said Belayat Hossain, a farmer from Norail. "We can make a bit of profit."
Rice production is low due to the high price, say farmers and agriculture officials. The harvest was also affected by floods in several districts and pests.
The Aman harvest began in the first week of November. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, 80 percent of the crops have been harvested as of the first week of December.
In fiscal 2015-16, Aman rice was harvested on 5.59 million hectares of land across the country. The total harvest was 13.483 tonnes of rice, according to Khondker Mohammad Rashed of DAE's Field Services Wing. Bangladesh produced 13.656 tonnes of rice on 5.58 million hectares in fiscal 2016-17.
Though Aman rice was planted on 5.77 million hectares this year, the total amount harvested has not been calculated yet due to flood damage. The information will be available at the end of December.
Md Layek Ali, a Joypurhat-based miller, said that 90 percent of the rice in his district has been harvested and is arriving in the market. But the price of rice is nearly Tk 200 per maund higher than last year.
He called the increased price 'positive' and said the yield had been lower.
"Farmers can make a profit by selling the rice at Tk 24 per kg. But as the government has set the price at Tk 39, the minimum market price is Tk 25."
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh estimates the price of rice to be 12 percent higher than last year.
Rice mill owners and rice traders say Aman rice prices are 23 percent higher than last year.
https://bdnews24.com/economy/2017/12/09/rice-prices-may-rise-further-as-aman-harvest-fails-to-tame-market
Growth and Water Use Benefits for Rice Under Enhanced CO2 Conditions
Paper Reviewed
Kumar, U., Quick, W.P., Barrios, M., Sta Cruz, P.C. and Dingkuhn, M. 2017. Atmospheric CO2 concentration effects on rice water use and biomass production. PLoS ONE 12: e0169706.
In citing the rationale for their study, Kumar et al. (2017) note that "the current and anticipated impact of climate change and the associated increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration on rice production are of great economic and social importance," especially in the tropics where rice is a key staple crop. Thus, they set out to investigate the effects of both sub- and supra-ambient CO2 on the dry matter production and water use of this important agricultural crop species.
To accomplish their objective, the five researchers grew rice in naturally sunlit and irrigated (flooded) controlled-environment chambers at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Philippines for two dry and two wet seasons (which differed in the amount of solar radiation received). CO2 treatments in the chambers included 195, 390, 780 and 1560 ppm and were maintained at these levels for 22 hours a day (the chambers were flushed of air for one hour before dawn and 1 hour after dusk to flush out trace gasses).
In describing their findings, Kumar et al. report that "the current level of 390 ppmv [CO2] was distinctly sub-optimal for rice biomass production." This fact is evident in the figure below, which illustrates the aboveground biomass at each CO2 concentration in each of the four growing seasons. As noted by the authors, the mean aboveground dry weight across all seasons was 1744 g m-2 at the current or ambient CO2 level (390 ppm), which value "decreased by 43% at 195 ppmv (0.5 x ambient), increased by 29% at 780 ppmv (2 x ambient) and increased by 42% at 1560 ppmv (4 x ambient)."
With respect to water use, Kumar et al. report that whole-season crop water use under sub-ambient and current CO2conditions was 564 and 719 mm, rising to 928 and 803 mm at 780 and 1560 ppmv CO2, respectively. And although more water was used at the higher CO2 concentrations, the amount of biomass produced per mm of water also increased (1.76, 2.43, 2.43 and 3.08 g m-2 mm-1 at 195, 390, 780 and 1560 ppm CO2, respectively). Thus, in the future, not only will the biomass of this rice cultivar increase as the air's CO2 concentration rises, it will produce more biomass per unit of water applied, which enhanced growth and water savings are a win-win for the agriculture sector.
Figure 1. Final above ground dry weight of rice grown under four concentrations of atmospheric CO2 for two dry seasons (DS) and two wet seasons (WS), differing in solar radiation levels. Adapted from Kumar et al. (2017).
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/dec/a5.php
Yuletide: FG meets importers over smuggled rice, other items
ON DECEMBER 9, 20179:30 AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS
….as over 1m metric tonnes rice waits to hit Nigeria from Benin Republic By Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA- AS preparation for Christmas gathers momentum, the Federal Government yesterday, met with importers over smuggled rice and other food items including frozen poultry products and fish through land borders into the country. Rice seizure by Western Marine Command The meeting was hosted by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen Heineken Lokpobiri, at the Ministry's headquarter in Abuja, where which was to engage stakeholders from farmers, processors, importers, exporters, and regulators. According to him the essence of the meeting was to proffer solution to the problem of smuggling of food items with a sustainable strategy.
He said: "Today we have a problem and it is only we that are sited here that can solve that and it has to do with the activities of smuggling, particularly as it relates to rice, poultry products and fish. In the last few weeks the Vice President has been meeting with the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, including customs and some other government agencies with the view of finding a solution to this problem. "I guess all of you here the dangers of the consumption of these frozen products, imported rice and fish by the Nigerian population. All of you are aware that there are many strange diseases that are now affecting little children; some at the age of five they are already down these diseases. "The reason is because instead of us to patronize our local poultry industry, locally produced fish, and for the fish because of the huge gap in order to ensure quality control decided to give some fish quota to those who have applied to import fish, and that fish is only acceptable to Nigeria if it is brought through the seaport.
"We also know some criminal activities are going on through the land borders particularly the Benin Republic border, where people are bringing in frozen fish, poultry products, which are not healthy for human consumption. "These smuggled poultry products contain what they use to preserve dead bodies called formalin, and it is important for Nigerians to know that it is very dangerous to eat any frozen product that is smuggled into the country. If big hotels in the country patronize locally produced rice, poultry products and fish, they will save a lot of lives and create more jobs. " However, the Minister also disclosed that over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigerian markets from Benin Republic, which he urged hotels, eateries, super markets, and others to patronize Nigerian agricultural products.
"Over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigeria from Benin Republic, and the rice is not meant for Benin Republic because people of Benin Republic don't eat parboiled rice", he stated. Speaking on how to approach the problem, one of the stakeholders, Nigeria Association of Agricultural Product Dealers, NAAPD, whose Secretary General, Hon Kingsley Chikezie, said with the documents that authorised them to collaborate with the governors and police to reduce multiple taxation, same could be applied to reduce smuggling across the land borders. On its suggestion, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, promised to step up awareness creation on the issue and to orientate Nigerians more on patronising, consuming and depending on locally produced poultry products, fish and rice instead of the smuggled ones despite the affordability. Also the President of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ezekiel Mam, called on Nigerians to discard imported poultry products due to the damage caused by the preservatives, and should patronize the local poultry products.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/yuletide-fg-meets-importers-smuggled-rice-items/
After Rosogolla, Bengal plans GI tags for Kalonunia, Randhunipagal rice
Sutanuka Ghosal
Dec 08, 2017, 04.24 PM IST
The Bengal Government has been actively patenting various products in order to market them internationally too.
Close on the heels of getting GI ( geographical indication) for Rosogolla, West Bengal government is all geared up to apply for tags for Kalonunia and Randhunipagal varieties of rice. These two are indigenous varieties of aromatic fine rice available in the state. While Kalonunia is grown in the northern region of the state, Randhunipagal is grown in the western part.
Kalonunia is cultivated in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling (plains regions of the district). Randhunipagal is cultivated in the districts of Birbhum, Pruba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura and Hooghly.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji, two other aromatic rice varieties, have already received the GI status, and the term 'Bengal Aromatic Rice' has been included in official documentation registered with the patent office. Kalonunia and Randhunipagal would fall under the same label.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji are primarily grown in the Damodar river basin and in the districts of north Bengal, respectively.
Getting a GI tag helps a product to be marketed as exclusively from the geographical region it hails from, be it a food product, a beverage, a fruit, a handicraft, a handloom product or any other regionally exclusive entity. The Bengal Government has been actively patenting various products in order to market them internationally too.
The demand would naturally also help in saving these indigenous varieties of rice, which are nutritionally rich, but many of which are facing extinction as a result of the cultivation of only the commercially viable varieties. In fact, the state government is carrying on research work with 41 such rice varieties.
Kalonunia, a medium-sized blackish grain, is produced at the rate of 2.2 to 2.4 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy, while the small-sized Randhunipagal is produced at the rate of 2.3 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy. These are eaten as plain rice or as an alternative to Basmati (in the case of Kalonunia) and as the principal component of payesh, pithe and khichuri bhog for pujas.
According to officials of the state's science and technology department, preparation of the documentation to be presented by the state to the patenting authority is almost complete.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/after-rosogolla-bengal-plans-gi-tags-for-kalonunia-randhunipagal-rice/articleshow/61980674.cms
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