12th january,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

News Detail…

GMO Biotechnology Categorized as “Biological Weapons

of Mass Destruction”, Pakistan, Russia By Global Research News

Global Research, January 09, 2015

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter www.ricepluss.com

January 12, 2015 Volume 5, Issue I

Chemical Concern

Region: Middle East & North Africa, Russia

and FSU

Theme: Biotechnology and GMO

In July last year, Monsanto, Pioneer and

Syngenta, multinational companies and a

number of national firms approached

Pakistan’s Ministry of Food Security

seeking licences to raise genetically-

modified (GM) food products in Pakistan.

Imran Ali Teepu reported for Dawn that a

senior federal government official, who did

not wish to be named, told Dawn that ―a

request in this regard has been received by

the Ministry of Food Security a few weeks

back and is being reviewed‖.The director

general of the Pakistan Environment

Protection Agency, Asif Shuja, said:

―Research is still continuing internationally

into whether the genetically-modified

products have an impact on human health.

Many of the local companies want to import

genetically-modified food products from

China and we have not given any approval

in this regard‖.Meanwhile, Dr Jawad

Chishtie, a public health and environment

management specialist, said: ―Genetically-

modified products have been rejected in

Europe, and most recently in France, for

damaging crops and endangering human

health.‖ He warned that effects of the

genetically-engineered organisms were not

yet known but ―they are suspected of

causing dangerous allergies and even

cancer.‖

He asked the government to promote

organic farming in Pakistan for which the

country had a far better environment.

In May this year Jamal Shahid reported that

Lahore High Court ordered the government

to stop issuing licences for genetically-

modified (GM) varieties of cotton or corn

until a legal framework is put into place to

assess new types of genetically modified

organisms.

Shahid continues: ―The Farmers Association

of Pakistan had been complaining about the

sale of poor quality Bt cotton seeds in the

open market for quite some time. He quotes

Chaudhry Gohar, a progressive cotton

farmer from Multan, who told Dawn that the

use of uncertified varieties of GM seeds

increase input costs for farmers. The low

levels of pest resistance in these seeds have

increased insects‘ immunity, necessitating

the use of nearly double the normal amount

of pesticides. Pakistan Agriculture

Research (NBC) also relaxed germination

levels for crops from 75% under Seed Act,

1976 to less than 50%.EPA DG Muhammad

Khurshid observed that the authority treats

GMOs ‗very seriously‘:

―The Foreign Office has also conveyed its

concern to the Climate Change Division that

the subject of GMO seeds is a matter of

grave concerns for national security and

trade. The Foreign Office treats GMOs as

potential ―biological weapons of mass

destruction‖, which could be used to destroy

Pakistan‘s major crops such as potato,

wheat, rice, corn, cotton and vegetables

through modified viruses, bacteria and other

parasites.Russian lawmakers also want to

address GMO-related activities that may

harm human health and impose criminal

liability on producers, sellers and

transporters of genetically modified

organisms, according to Izvestia.Itar-Tass

reports that a bill to this effect was

submitted to the Russian State Duma –

lower parliament house; under its terms

criminal responsibility would apply only to

companies and government officials, but

there is a move to expand liability for GMO-

inflicted harm to include state and local self-

government officials.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/gmo-

biotechnology-as-biological-weapons-of-

mass-destruction-pakistan-russia/5423645

2013-14 stocks: government

urged to direct TCP to purchase

0.5 million tons of Basmati rice

January 10, 2015

ZAHID BAIG

Growers Association (BGA) has urged the

federal government to direct Trading

Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for

purchasing 0.5 million tons of Basmati rice

from 2013-14 stocks at the rate of Rs 4000

per 40 kilograms and export it to Iran. It also

suggested that the procurement should be

made through outsourced

company/companies as the TCP lacks the

capacity to make such purchases and sales

while the outsourced company/companies

could perform the task on behalf of the TCP

with guarantees of performance and quality

or any other such assurance as TCP may

deem appropriate. BGA President Chaudhry

Hamid Malhi has proposed this in a letter to

the Federal Minister of Commerce Khurram

Dastgir Khan, copy of which also released to

the media on Friday. The letter said Basmati

rice purchased could be exported to Iran and

some of the proceeds could be deducted by

Iran as Rs 500 million of outstanding

electricity payments lying with the Pakistan

government, while, Pakistan government

can pay these dues to exporters/farmers. In

the meanwhile a waiver for trade with Iran

could be sought to enable the State Bank of

Pakistan to open a banking channel for

export payment transfers.

This would also add 50 billion to the

economy. A joint committee of MoC,

exporters, traders and growers could

supervise the activity to make it workable

and suggest timely amends where

necessary. "It is also important to note that

Iran imported 1.44 million tons of Basmati

rice from India during 2013-14, while our

Basmati exports world-wide decreased to

0.733 million tons in the same year," the

letter added.

It said that in contrast to India, Pakistan

could only export 6511 tons of Basmati rice

to Iran in year 2013-14. The Basmati

farmers were the biggest losers this year.

Paddy prices were down by 50 percent and

with no remedy in sight for the next year,

Basmati production could be at risk in the

country, the letter mentioned. Letter further

stated that directives to expedite matters in

the manner suggested above, could improve

the situation to the relief of the Basmati rice

sector. Chaudhry Hamid Malhi also

regretted that the subsidy of Rs 5000 per

acres announced by the Punjab government

to Basmati farmers is also in doldrums as

time passes. He said that rice farmers

suffered heavy losses because of floods and

price crash and the government announced

to compensate them and made lists of

farmers but growers are still awaiting any

good news from the rulers.

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-

allied/183/1141000/

RRI develops new varieties

of drought-resistant paddy in OdishaOdisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Jan 12:

Scientists at the Central Rice Research

Institute (CRRI) in Odisha‘s Cuttack city

have developed four new varieties of

drought-resistant paddy and another variety

that can be grown in less water

conditions.The new varieties named as

Ankit, Sachala, Gopinath, Maudamani can

meet the drought condition while another

variety, named Chakaakhi, can grow in less

water and survive flood conditions up to a

week. Besides, it can also withstand high

winds.

They have been prepared specifically to deal

with the changing climate and pattern of rain

in Odisha.As per the information provided

by Sharat Kumar Pradhan, chief scientists of

CCRI, ―Ankit (CR Paddy-101) can be

harvested in three and half months can be

cultivated in high lands with less water

requirement.This medium thin variety can

be harvested up to 40 quintal per hectare in

normal condition and up to 28 quintal per

hectare under drought condition. Besides,

given its immunity to certain diseases and

the ability to be grown through sowing,

farmers can save more time and money as it

does not require re-plantation. About 68 kgs

of rice can be obtained by milling a quintal

of paddy of this variety, he said.

Apart from this, Sachala (CR Paddy-203)

and Gopinath are also immune to certain

diseases and can be harvested in 110 days.

The cultivation and harvest are the same like

the Ankit variety, he added.―Maudamani

(CR-307), which is a small, fatty and pest-

resistant variety of paddy, can be cultivated

in the irrigated lands. About 50 quintals per

hectare of this variety can be harvested in

normal conditions.‖ Pradhan said.Talking

about the newly developed Chakaakhi (CR-

408), Pradhan informed that this fatty and

longer variety can withstand flood

conditions and pest attack and grow up to

130 to 140 centimetres. The harvest period

of this paddy is 160-165 days. It also makes

it easy for farmers to clean unwanted grass

from the field due to its dark coloured roots

which is different from the colour of grass

that grows around paddy. This rice would be

suitable for preparation of watered rice

(Pakhala).

It may be noted that the State Variety

Release Committee has developed nine

different varieties of paddy this year of

which CRRI has developed five.The CRRI

scientists had invented three more varieties

of paddy in November last year to meet the

climatic conditions of other states.However,

it may take another two years to provide

adequate amount of these new varieties of

paddy to the farmers of the state,‖ Pradhan

http://odishasuntimes.com/107707/crri-

develops-new-varieties-drought-resistant-paddy-

odisha/

Women seed entrepreneurs

at community level

M. G. Neogi

Women seed entrepreneurs at community

level

Rexonara Khatun, a trained seed producer,

storing her quality seeds in IRRI Super Bag

at their house at Triphol kathi village,

Shyamnagar, Satkhira.

Seeds are the most important input to

increase crop production. They enhance

food security and alleviate poverty in the

agro-based developing countries. It is

believed that good seeds alone can increase

20-25 per cent yield. If the seed is capable of

ensuring higher yield, then the use of other

inputs like fertilisers, irrigation, pesticides,

etc. becomes fruitful. Otherwise, these

become futile. Therefore, the best

techniques need to be followed to produce

and preserve good quality seeds.In

Bangladesh, a large number of farmers

throughout the country use their self-

produced and preserved seeds to cultivate

rice. The seeds comprise more than 50 per

cent of the total rice seed requirement of the

country. Eighty-five per cent of self-

preserved seeds are used by the poor farm

households.

Almost hundred per cent of the seeds are

processed at farm household-level by

women, and they are solely involved in

drying, cleaning and storing these seeds. A

2011 survey report indicates that from 1999

to 2006, participation by men in the

agricultural labour force is declining, while

female agricultural labourers are increasing

in the crop fields. The said report notes that

as men move from farming to the service

industry and other non-agricultural sectors,

women are gaining more acceptance as paid

farm workers and post-harvest processors.

Women are now working in crop fields

along with men, a rare scene in the past.

They prepare seedbeds, transplant seedlings,

engage in activities like weeding,

harvesting, and threshing of crops. Most

importantly, almost hundred per cent women

farm households are solely involved in

cleaning, sun-drying and storing the crops

and their seeds at their houses.

But most of the women farm households are

not capable enough to produce quality seeds

and they have very shallow knowledge on

how to produce and process quality rice

seeds. Normally, farm households are

cultivating rice for their consumption and

sale, and they save a portion of it as seed,

which is never maintained properly as seed.

These seeds are usually inferior in quality

with mixtures of other varieties, and thus the

farmers incur a huge loss, because of poor

yield-capability.

The awareness and knowledge of women of

farm households about quality seeds, their

importance and seed processing, as well as

preservation techniques, are very limited.

They are not able to maintain quality storage

facilities at household level due to their poor

housing condition. Although women are

directly involved with seed processing and

preservation at their households, there is no

institutional linkages in order to improve

their awareness and skills. A huge number

of women households in rural areas are

involved with micro-credit programmes, but

they have very limited access to 'know-how'

on quality seeds. Effective storage

equipment is also one of the most important

components to keep the seeds at quality

level, as most of the women farm

households store their rice seeds in

traditional containers, like jute bags, soil-

made containers, tin boxes, gunny bags, etc.

which are not found to be satisfactory in

storing rice seeds and maintaining their

quality.

With the available production technologies,

it is possible to produce around six tonnes of

crop on one hectare of land, but the average

production is less than three tonnes per

hectare. Among the many constraints,

awareness and knowledge at women farm

household level, quality seeds, post-harvest

drying and storage facilities are considered

the major barriers to improved rice

production technologies. Therefore, there is

the need for making the farmers aware and

train them, especially the women farm

households, for quality seed production,

processing and preservation by using simple

and affordable technologies.

It is proved that the traditional methods of

seed storage cause lower germination and

infestation of seeds by pests and diseases,

which ultimately leads to lower production.

As the requirement of quality seed

production and preservation is a serious

constraint for improved rice production, the

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

strongly feels about an immediate need to

equip grassroots farmers with training

through local seed producing associations

for quality seed promotion in rural areas.

Through using quality seeds, yields can be

increased between 15 to 30 per cent.

Farmers will get more food and have more

income for their families, if they use quality

seeds.

Under USAID and BMGF (Bill & Melinda

Gates Foundation) support, IRRI works with

rural poor farm households, where NGOs,

private local seed producers and the

government agricultural extension

department (DAE) are the partners of this

project.

The three major areas like roughing, drying

and storing proved the most important

factors to improve seed quality. A

polyethylene bag which has been developed

by IRRI named as IRRI Super Bag has also

been proved to be unique and affordable

equipment for the farm households of rural

areas to store rice seeds at household level

maintaining its quality. The IRRI has

provided 25,000 IRRI Super Bags to 8,500

households (mainly women), through the

partner organisations like the government

extension agencies such as DAE, local

NGOs and local seed producers.

Seeds preserved in the IRRI Super Bag as

storage equipment maintain higher

germination, viability and vigour as well as

disease-free plants, and thus yield is

comparatively much higher than from the

seeds available from other sources. Hence

the seed production technology as well as

seed processing and preservation technology

under this component is treated as a

complete package programme. The seeds

production and preservation technology has

been provided to the poor community

households enabling them to produce quality

seeds at community level. In the same way,

seed processing and preservation training

can be provided to women of farm

households to keep the seeds on right track

as post-harvest technology. Based on

practical learning, women are now more

aware of moisture percentage in seeds and

are interested to store them in storage

equipment (IRRI Super Bag) for airtight

preservation.

A trained woman of a farm household,

Rexonara Khatun, speaks about the

usefulness of this storage equipment.

Rexonara and her husband Arafat Hossain

live in Aila-affected saline-prone village

named Treefol Kathi of Ishwaripur union

under Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira

district. They have 60 decimals of land.

Before Aila, they cultivated rice and

received a very good harvest. But due to

Aila, their land was affected by saline water

and they failed to have any reasonable

harvests after the Aila storm. Through a

group meeting with Nakshikantha - a NGO,

in 2012, she came to know that a newly-

developed salt-tolerant rice variety can grow

in salt-affected land. She showed her interest

about the rice variety and received

Binadhan-8 rice seeds as salt-tolerant rice

variety from Nakshikantha and cultivated

that in their land and got a good yield of

around 3.8 tonne/ha. This was the first time

after the Aila, when they cultivated crop and

harvested such an amount of rice. Rexonara

also received training on how to produce

and process as well as store the rice seeds.

She got IRRI Super Bag during a training

programme. She stored dry and cleaned

quality Binadhan-8 rice seeds in IRRI Super

Bags in airtight condition.

Inspired by the achievement of Rexonara,

her neighbouring farm households are

demanding seeds of this variety. Rexonara

decided to keep seeds in her IRRI Super

Bags to maintain their quality and sell them

to her neighbours in the next season.

Hundreds of trained women of farm

households are now producing quality seeds

at household level and are getting higher

yields. They also supply their surplus seeds

to their neighbours, relatives and other

farmers.A number of trained women of farm

households have become seed entrepreneurs

at community level getting benefits and

enjoying better livelihood.As the quality

seed production and preservation is a serious

challenge for improved rice production,

IRRI strongly feels the immediate need for

equipping grassroots farmers with training

through local seed producing associations. It

also feels the urgency for quality seed

promotion in rural areas.

The article is adapted from a paper Dr. M.

G. Neogi, a consultant with the International

Rice Research Institute (IRRI), presented at

the International Rice Congress held at

Bangkok in 2014.

[email protected]

UD‟s research institute to

develop low-cost fuel tanks

By Jill DruryPublished: January 9, 2015, 11:56

am

University of Dayton. (WDTN Photo)

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The University

of Dayton Research Institute says it will lead

an Ohio-based research team with the

development of affordable natural-gas

vehicle fuel tanks.The initiative was

announced by President Barack Obama in

Tennessee where the research will be

led.The Institute for Advanced Composites

Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) was

selected by the U.S.

Department of Energy to develop the

technology.The group of founding partners,

including UDRI, will work to advance fiber-

reinforced polymer composites that are

lighter and stronger than steel, with

development taking place from laboratories

to production lines.These types of

technologies are already used in the aircraft

and military vehicle industries as well as in

luxury cars, but the materials are

expensive.UDRI will lead the initiative for

the development of compressed-gas storage

vessels for the automotive and trucking

industry.

―The demand for compressed natural gas as

a lower-cost, cleaner-burning alternative to

diesel and gasoline fuel for vehicles

continues to grow,‖ said Brian Rice,

Research Institute director. ―In order for

natural gas fuel to be efficiently and safely

used to power vehicles, the transportation

industry needs an affordable, lightweight but

high-strength compressed-gas fuel tank.‖The

group‘s goal is to make the materials low-

cost and easy to produce.Ohio will commit

$10-million of the estimated $259-million

project.

http://wdtn.com/2015/01/09/uds-research-

institute-to-develop-low-cost-fuel-tanks/

University rejects

renaming „Hindu‟ rice

varieties Jan 10, 2015 - Rabindra Nath Choudhury |

Raipur

The Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya

here was on Friday caught off guard

following ―rumours‖ that the institution was

initiating a move to replace names of Hindu

deities given to new rice varieties developed

in the state.The rumour that there was a

serious move by the university to rechristen

the new rice varieties developed by the

research units functioning under the

institution has been making rounds in the

state for the past couple of days.As per the

speculation, a plan is afoot by the university

to rename the popular varieties of rice such

as ―Mahamaya‖, ―Durga‖, ―Vishnubhog‖,

―Samales-wari‖, ―Rajeswari‖, ―Dur-ga‖ and

―Danteswari‖.

Incidentally, the rumours have surfaced in

the wake of the recent release of the

controversial Hindi film PK, which is facing

opposition from the Hindutva brigade for,

what they claim, is the ―improper

projection‖ of Hindu deities.―We are

absolutely taken aback by the baseless

rumours that we are planning to replace

names of Hindu deities given to the new

varieties of rice developed by the university.

I want to make it clear that there is no such

move. We are wondering where such a

rumour has been generated,‖ a senior officer

of the university told this newspaper on

Friday.When contacted, university

spokesman and professor (soil science

department) K.K. Sahu said, ―I am not

aware of any such move.

‖Many new rice varieties developed in the

state have been christened after names of

famed local deities such as Danteswari of

Bastar region and Mahamaya of the plains

of Chhattisgarh.The university is credited

with conserving the second-largest reserve

of rice plasmas in the world after the

International Rice Research Institute in

Manila, the Philippines.

Turning Waste from Rice,

Parsley and Other Foods

into Biodegradable Plastic

Your chairs, synthetic rugs and plastic

bags could one day be made out of cocoa,

rice and vegetable waste rather than

petroleum, scientists are now reporting.

By American Chemical Society | August 22,

2014

Waste husks from rice (in the small vial) can

be transformed into bioplastic.A. ABRUSCI

– ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI

TECNOLOGIAThe novel process they

developed and their results, which could

help the world deal with its agricultural and

plastic waste problems, appear in

theAmerican Chemical

Society journal Macromolecules.Athanassia

Athanassiou, Ilker S. Bayer and colleagues

at the Italian Institute of Technology point

out that plastic's popularity is constantly

growing. In 2012, its production reached

288 million tons worldwide, but its ubiquity

comes at a cost. Synthetic plastics persist for

hundreds or thousands of years while

releasing toxic components with the

potential to harm the environment and

human health. Also, plastics are made out of

petroleum, which is a nonrenewable source.

The shift to more environmentally friendly

bioplastics has been challenging and

expensive. Athanassiou's team wanted to

find a simple, less costly way to make the

transition.

They turned to an organic acid that also

occurs naturally and can process cellulose,

which is the main building component of

plants and also the most abundant polymer

in nature. They mixed the acid with parsley

and spinach stems, and husks from rice and

cocoa pods. Then, they poured the resulting

solutions into lab dishes. When tested, the

films that formed showed a promising range

of traits from brittle and rigid to soft and

stretchable — similar to commercial

plastics. "This opens up possibilities for

replacing some of the non-degrading

polymers with the present bioplastics

obtained from agro-waste," the researchers

conclude.

Categories: News

Tags: American Chemical Society, plastics, green

technology, materials science, Industry News

http://www.labmanager.com/news/2014/08/turni

ng-waste-from-rice-parsley-and-other-foods-

into-biodegradable-plastic#.VLRNndLF_Jc

Santiago launches

hybrid rice center By Brenda Jocson Gaudia | Jan. 10, 2015

at 12:01am

SANTIAG

O CITY,

Isabela—

Mayor

Joseph Tan

on Friday

launched

an

accelerated

learning

module on

hybrid rice here at the Agricultural Training

and Seed Center.―We expect that the new

farming methods will raise harvest from 100

cavans per hectare of traditional farming

practice to 200 cavans per hectare,‖ he said.

Tan

The facility in Barangay Balintocatoc was

established in partnerships with the

Philippine Rice Center, Department of Soil

and Water Management, Cagayan Valley

Rice Research Center (CVRRC), Technical

Education and Skills Development

Authority (TESDA) and the city

government.―We have come up with this

endeavor to help and support the displaced

cabesillas or community service providers

consisting of almost 14 percent of the farm

labor force in the city,‖ Tan said.―But I

believe that in due time, these displaced

farm laborers will soon be trained by the

national government through TESDA and

become productive in their chosen field of

expertise in the operation the new farming

technology.‖

According to Tan, TESDA-Santiago has

trained 200 heavy equipment operators with

special funding from the city mayor‘s

office. We have also allocated P500,000 for

farmers livelihood programs to every

barangay under our local poverty reduction

action program,‖ he said.Meanwhile, the

city has alloted P42 million for cooperatives

and groups in acquiring reapers, tractors,

mechanical transplanters for them to offer

services to small landowners who could not

afford to buy mechanized farm machineries.

CVRRC chief Rosemarie Aquino said

mechanization would enable planters to

cope with the requirements of an integrated

market of South East Asian countries.―Our

soil is so fertile that seeds easily sprout and

with the introduction of farm mechanization

we will make our products more competitive

in Asia,‖ she said.Aquino said CVRRC has

also created a new technique in seedling

propagation using carbonized water, rice

bran and garden soil from river banks.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/01/10/sant

iago-launches-hybrid-rice-center/

Vietnam clinches one

million tonnes of rice deal

in 2015 Friday, 09 January 2015 03:51

The volume is 200,000 tonnes higher than the

same period last year. (Image source: IRRI)

Member enterprises of the Vietnam Food

Association (VFA) have already clinched

export contracts for at least one million

tonnes of rice with delivery scheduled for

this year

According to VietnamNet, most of the

volume would be delivered to customers in

2015, based on the contracts that VFA‘s

member enterprises signed with importers

last year.

The volume is 200,000 tonnes higher than

the same period last year.Huynh The Nang,

general director of Vietnam Southern Food

Corporation (Vinafood 2), however, said

local rice exporters might face many more

difficulties this year.The rice demand of the

Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia is

forecast to jump, but Vietnam would have to

compete with Thailand, which wants to

reduce its huge rice stockpiles, The Nang

added.China, a major importer of

Vietnamese rice in recent years, has signed

an MoU to purchase two million tonnes of

rice from Thailand in 2015.Concerns have

also risen among domestic rice exporters for

tougher competition from India and Pakistan

as these two nations have cut prices of their

low and medium-grade rice to compete with

similar products of Vietnam.

Currently, India and Pakistan sell five per

cent broken rice at US$385-395 per tonne

and US$380-390 per tonne respectively,

compared to US$380-390 per tonne for

Vietnam‘s same type. Their 25 per cent

broken rice is priced at US$350-360 per

tonne and US$335-345 per tonne compared

to US$350-360 per tonne of

Vietnam.According to VFA, Vietnam had

exported 5.96mn tons of rice from 1 January

to 18 December 2014, falling 11 per cent

against the previous year. Up to 83 per cent

was shipped to Asian and African countries

and the rest to America, Europe and

Oceania.

In order to boost rice shipments this year,

Vietnam‘s Ministry of Industry and Trade

suggested rice exporters diversify markets

and seek to make full use of the

opportunities from bilateral and multilateral

trade agreements, and follow updates on

importing markets.

http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agri

culture/vietnam-clinches-one-million-tonnes-of-

rice-deal-in-2015

Last update 07:50 | 11/01/2015

Vietnam needs to develop a

national rice brand

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam was the

world’s second-largest rice exporter in the

world in 2014, but it is in urgent need of

investment to develop a national brand to

increase the value of its rice harvests.

In recent years, the Mekong Delta region has

spared no effort to attract investment in the

field of rice production. Numerous

international organizations and foreign

investors have also been expanding the

production model.However, to date these

have only been pilot programs and have had

no real global impact on rice production in

Vietnam.Scientists and managers are now

pondering alternative approaches to improve

rice growers‘ living conditions, by building

a national rice brand name and creating

added value for Vietnamese rice.

On a positive note, Vietnamese rice was

exported to 135 nations around the globe in

2014 including the demanding markets of

the US, EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea,

Hong Kong and Singapore.However, the

Asian market accounts for the lion‘s share,

or 77%, of exports. Despite huge export

volume, the quality and competitive edge of

Vietnamese rice remain low, which is not

appealing to foreign investors.Huynh The

Nang, Southern Food Corporation‘s

(Vinafood) general director, said

Vietnamese rice cannot penetrate into the

high-end markets due to lack of high-quality

rice varieties, high post-harvest losses and

poor regional connectivity, as well as a lack

of collaboration between the government,

scientists, businesses and farmers.

Associate Professor and Dr. Nguyen Van

Sanh, Director of the Mekong Delta

Development Research Institute, said rice

growers remain poor as the price of rice is

insufficient to offset rising production costs,

leading to low earnings.Sanh said that

Vietnam should make radical reforms to

improve competitive capacity and reduce

product costs for its rice. He stressed the

need to reform activities of cooperatives in

the Mekong River Delta to connect to

businesses effectively.

For his part, Dr Le Van Banh, head of the

Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute,

underscored the need to study the production

value chain and seek solutions to improve

the value chain in terms of production, post-

harvest treatment, quality, infrastructure and

distribution, and gradually develop brand

names for Vietnamese rice.To ensure

national food security, the State should

devise proper policies in the coming time to

help rice growers pay attention to their

work. It is inevitable that farmers will turn

their back on rice if they cannot earn enough

income, he said.On a more positive note, in

2014 a pilot program in the Mekong Delta

for model paddy fields was successful in

generating higher earnings for farmers and

creating higher value for Vietnamese rice,

which could lead to production of high-

quality rice in vast quantities in the future. VOV

Tags:national rice brand,

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/12063

1/vietnam-needs-to-develop-a-national-rice-

brand.html

View Point: Padang

restaurants can help or foil

rice self-sufficiency goal

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta | Opinion | Sun,

January 11 2015, 9:46 AM

A recent visit to a Padang restaurant raised

my doubts about the likelihood of Indonesia

becoming self-sufficient in rice, a goal that

President Joko ―Jokowi‖ Widodo wants to

achieve within the next three years. The

popular eateries, run mostly by Minang

people from West Sumatra and found almost

everywhere in Indonesia, have a habit of

giving generous servings of rice. For

takeout, they even serve two large scoops.

Tambuah ciek, meaning ―one more serving

please‖, is the most popular Minang

expression, which patrons of all ethnic

groups shout out to the waiters, often before

they even cleared the rice on their plate.

You can‘t eat delicious and spicy Padang

dishes like gulai, rendang and dendeng

balado without rice. The spicier the dish, the

more rice you need. Padang restaurants may

have a lot to do with why Indonesians are

the exception to the rule among Asian

countries where rising prosperity means

eating less rice. As Indonesia joins the rank

of middle-income countries, we eat more

rice.

This is bad news for Jokowi‘s goal to make

Indonesia self-sufficient in rice, the staple

diet of the nation‘s 250 million people, by

2017. The president is pumping out a lot of

money, repairing and building reservoirs and

irrigation networks, clearing land for new

rice cultivation outside Java and giving

assistance to farmers. He seems adamant he

can achieve this, for he has made it clear that

he would fire Agriculture Minister Amran

Sulaiman if the goal is not met.The more

pertinent question however is whether rice

self-sufficiency is sustainable. In the 1980s,

President Soeharto went all out to turn

Indonesia, which for years had been the

biggest buyer in the world rice market, to

become self-sufficient.

1985, he collected a prestigious UN award

for this achievement. A few years later,

however, the nation returned regularly to the

rice market to make up for its output gap,

until today.In the absence of any change in

eating habits, Indonesia‘s rising population

means that the country must produce more

rice to keep up with demand. Rising income

has also meant higher per-capita rice

consumption, unlike in Japan, Korea and

China, where they managed to diversify

their dietary habits. In 2004, the average

Indonesian ate 124 kilograms of rice, in

2009 that figure rose to 127 kg, according to

the Manila-based International Rice

Research Institute (IRRI).Excluding poorer

Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar and

Cambodia, Indonesia‘s rice consumption

ranks among the highest in Asia. The

average Malaysian, Japanese, Korean and

Chinese, ate 74, 54, 81 and 76 kg

respectively in 2009.

Only the Thais and Vietnamese eat more

rice than Indonesians, with per capita

consumption of 133 and 141 kg in 2009. But

then they are large exporters, and Indonesia

usually buys from them.With the volume of

rice traded in the world market thin,

supplied by a few exporters, relying on

imports makes Indonesia susceptible to price

volatility. As more African nations eat and

import rice, Indonesia faces a serious food

security challenge. Jokowi was right in

gunning for self sufficiency in rice, as well

as in corn and soybeans.

Part of the solution to Jokowi‘s rice self-

sufficiency challenge must come from

changing the dietary habits of the

burgeoning middle class, many of whom

continue to eat as much rice, if not more,

than before even as their income

improves.How can you resist nasi goreng for

breakfast? How can you keep away from the

various rice-based snacks like lemper and

arem-arem?

And how can you say no to that extra rice

serving at Padang restaurants?

It is not uncommon to hear the new middle-

class Indonesians hitting rice at home after a

heavy meal like steak or burgers at Western

restaurants. ―If I haven‘t eaten rice, I don‘t

feel like I have eaten at all,‖ is their classic

excuse. Yes, it‘s all in the mind rather than

in the stomach.It is no wonder why today we

find more and more Indonesian men, both

young and middle age, with bulging

stomach. Those are rice guts rather than beer

guts. They have more carbohydrate intake

than their body can burn, thanks largely to

all the rice they eat.Jokowi doesn‘t look like

most middle-class Indonesian men.

He often self-deprecates about his thin

figure as orang ndeso, someone who comes

straight from a village. His figure makes him

the perfect role model or icon for a

government campaign to change the nation‘s

dietary habits to eat less rice, targeting in

particular the rising middle class, many of

whom continue to eat rice three times a day.

What‘s the President‘s secret to stay slim

anyway? Perhaps he cares to share it with

the nation. No doubt many would even

follow suit. After all, we have a president

who has already set a few life style trends,

including on how to lead a simple life.What

about replacing rice with more fish, now that

Jokowi has stopped fishermen from

neighboring countries from stealing in our

waters? Would that not also befit the

maritime nation that we aspire to be?

Replacing carbs with protein in our daily

diet would be a perfect and healthy way of

diversifying away from rice.

Where does this leave the Padang

restaurants?

They can and must be part of the solution.

For one, they can start serving smaller rice

portions. One scoop for takeouts, rather than

two. They can create a greater variety of fish

dishes. And they can make their food less

spicy and stop us from shouting tambuah

ciek (one more).

The writer is senior editor at The Jakarta

Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/01/11/vie

w-point-padang-restaurants-can-help-or-foil-rice-

self-sufficiency-goal.html#sthash.yE81e4R4.dpuf

Outstanding global

Filipino returns By Anna Leah G. Estrada | Jan. 10, 2015

at 10:20pm

Former Agriculture secretary William Dar

has recently returned from a 15-year stint in

India, where he made his mark as a Filipino

technocrat heading a global non-profit

organization that seeks ways to improve

farm production in continents and countries

with dry lands.Dar, who served as secretary

of the Agriculture Department from July

1998 to May 1999, became the only Filipino

heading a global agricultural research and

development facility.

Former Agriculture secretary William Dar

(center) leads the launching of hissecond

book ‗Greening the Grey: Expanding the

Green Revolution,‘ at the Bureau of

Agricultural Research in Quezon City. With

him are (from left)UPLB Chancellor

Fernando Sanchez Jr., PCAARRD executive

directorPatricio Faylon, BAR director

Nicomedes Eleazar and Sta. Maria, Ilocos

Sur Mayor Edgar Florendo.He concluded an

unprecedented 15-year term on Dec. 31,

2014 as director-general of the International

Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid

Tropics in India. ICRISAT is among the 15

global research centers under the CGIAR

Consortium that also includes the

International Rice Research Institute in Los

Baños, Laguna.

CGIAR, which used to be known as the

Consultative Group on International

Agricultural Research, groups nearly 10,000

scientists, researchers, technicians and staff

working to create a better future for the

world‘s poor.At ICRISAT, Dar leaves

behind a legacy benefitting millions of

farmers in India, Africa and other dry land

countries in the world including the

Philippines. He served an unprecedented

three five-year terms at ICRISAT, which is

headquartered in Patancheru near

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The

global institute has two regional hubs and

five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political

organization that conducts agricultural

research for development in Asia and sub-

Saharan Africa. Covering 6.5 million square

kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi-

arid tropics have over 2 billion people, of

whom 644 million are the poorest of the

poor.ICRISAT innovations help the dry land

poor move from poverty to prosperity by

harnessing markets while managing risks

through a strategy called Inclusive Market-

Oriented development. ICRISAT is a

member of CGIAR, a global agriculture

research partnership for a food secure

future.―We have turned around ICRISAT

into a financially-stable, and a leading

global research institute, receiving several

awards particularly from the CGIAR,‖ said

Dar.

With the innovative research-for-

development programs that Dar introduced,

ICRISAT continues to attract R&D

investments into the development of

modern, climate-smart and sustainable crop

cultivars and technologies of its five major

commodities (pearl millet, chickpea,

cowpea, groundnut and sorghum) that are

farmed by millions of smallholder farm

families in semi-arid countries.Among the

top donors to ICRISAT is the Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation, contributing

about $18 million a year, which is allotted to

the conduct of ICRISAT‘s major research

and development initiatives.

Two projects being funded by the

foundation are the HOPE project, which

stands for Harnessing Opportunities for

Productivity Enhancement of Sorghum and

Millets, and the Tropical Legumes II

project.The HOPE project seeks to increase

by 30 percent the productivity of sorghum

and millets in 200,000 farmers‘ fields in

sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while

TL-II aims to enhance productivity of six

legume crops (groundnut, cowpea, common

bean, chickpea, pigeonpea and soybean) by

at least 20 percent through improved

cultivars and management practices and the

development of markets and value chains.

At ICRISAT, Dar oversaw the formulation

of a new, more dynamic institutional

strategy known as Inclusive Market-

Oriented Development, which shifted

ICRISAT‘s focus towards enabling poor

farmers to harness markets for poverty

escape.The institute also established centers

of scientific excellence for genomics,

transgenic and climate change research, and

information and communications technology

innovations for agriculture.

ICRISAT adopted an inclusive and

technology-based entrepreneurship and

agribusiness program through public-private

partnerships to bring science-based

technologies and products to the market for

the benefit of smallholder farmers.Dar was

among the 32 overseas Filipinos who

received from President Benigno Aquino III

the Pamana ng Pilipino Award on Dec. 5,

2014.A native of Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, the

61-year-old scientist was cited for ―his

exemplary leadership in successfully

extending the frontiers of science and

technology to ensure food security for all,

and for his staunch advocacy of the

important role of professional horticulturists

in this endeavor.

‖―It is a humbling experience, and I dedicate

the Pamana Award to all Filipino farmers. I

look forward to serving them again,‖ said

Dar.Dar has transformed ICRISAT into one

of the best agricultural research institutes in

the world in terms of innovative research

programs, impact to clienteles and financial

stability. Under his leadership and

governance, the income and investments in

ICRISAT has quadrupled since Dar took

over, from $21 million in 2000 to $85

million in 2014.In the Philippines, ICRISAT

teamed up with the Bureau of Agricultural

Research and shared modern sustainable

farming technologies and cultivars of sweet

sorghum, peanut, cowpea (garbanzos) and

chickpea (kadyos) to farmers in Cagayan

Valley, Ilocos, Southern Luzon and

Southern Mindanao.

Dar vowed upon his return this year to share

management and technical experience with

Filipino farmers to transform barren rain-fed

and dry lands into productive, sustainable

and climate-smart farms through the so-

called Inang Lupa social movement.The

movement aims to enhance the country‘s

food, nutrition and energy security, increase

the productivity and incomes of small

farmers through soil rejuvenation,

sustainable and integrated natural resource

management, use of improved cultivars and

hybrids, and advocating for relevant policies

and reforms in agriculture.Dar, in a speech

during the 2nd National Congress of the

Philippine Association of Agriculturist Inc.

in Tagaytay City in November last year,

cited the need to make Philippine agriculture

competitive.

He said the agriculture sector should be

inclusive, science-based, resilient and

market-oriented to cushion the impact of the

upcoming Asean economic integration. The

Asean Economic Community envisions a

single market and production base, a highly

competitive economic region and equitable

economic development by the end of

2015.―Any strategy to make Philippine

agriculture competitive should balance

between ensuring food security and well-

planned crop diversification to enhance

income levels of farming households by

increased exports,‖ Dar said.

―This calls for achieving self-sufficiency in

rice production along with diversifying into

high-value crops in which the country has a

comparative advantage,‖ he said.Dar said

that the government should also help small

farmers gain access to markets and ensure

that good agricultural practices are met.He

cited the role of science in improving farm

production and meeting the sanitary and

phytosanitary measures imposed by other

countries.―Agricultural and food exporters

will have to grapple with many of the EU‘s

food safety requirements.

These include standards pertaining to

maximum residual levels for pesticides and

other chemical inputs used in food

production, the general food law which

requires traceability of food across the

supply chain and the food and feed controls

regulations, among others,‖ Dar said.Dar

said that public investment in the agriculture

should be increased to attract more private

sector participation. ―This will ensure

sustainable economic growth by increased

volumes of trade with the integration of the

country into the AEC,‖ he said.―Increased

public investments will eventually result in

more flow of private capital for investment

and ultimately result in economic growth

with development,‖ Dar said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/01/10/outs

tanding-global-filipino-returns/

UC Davis scientists work to

ID food crops that can

survive global warming

By Pat Bailey

UC Davis News Service

Created: 01/10/2015 04:37:38 PM PST0

Scientists are working on ways to make corn

and maize adaptable to climate change.

Sometimes it pays to have wild and quirky

relatives. That's certainly the case for staple

crops that help feed the world. It also helps

— both the plants and the people who

depend on them — to have leading

geneticists searching for family traits that

could ensure those crops thrive in a warmer,

drier world.Researchers at UC Davis and

around the world are scrambling to develop

new varieties of food and fiber crops that

will produce abundant yields despite

drought and other effects of climate change.

They're also exploring more water-efficient

ways to grow existing crops.

It's estimated that 38 percent of the world

and 70 percent of its agricultural output are

already impacted by drought — numbers

that will likely rise as climate change

intensifies. To make matters worse, global

population is spiraling upward, expected to

soar past 9 billion by the year 2050.In short,

we're headed toward a future that will have

billions of more mouths to feed with much

less water, higher temperatures and no room

to expand the global farm.

To be sure, there is no "silver bullet" to take

down the twin beasts of drought and climate

change. Here's why:

•It's not just about developing less-thirsty crops.

With reduced rain and irrigation water, you also

get higher salt concentrations in the soil,

meaning that many crops of the future will need

to be salt-tolerant.

•And to dodge the warming temperatures, some

crops now grown during the summer months

will, in certain regions, become winter-season

crops — meaning they'll also have to get by on

the shorter stretches of daylight that accompany

winter.Juggling, heat, light, salt and scarce

moisture is a tall order, but scientists are already

finding such multifaceted solutions in the genes

of both domesticated plants and their ancestors.

With some plants, they're searching for genetic

"markers" that will identify the genes

responsible for various stress-tolerance traits,

speeding up conventional breeding. In other

cases, they expect to insert genes from the wild

relatives into existing crop varieties, better

equipping them to adapt to climate change.Here

are snapshots of four crops and the scientists

studying them:

•To make rice around the world more tolerant of

drought conditions, plant scientist Eduardo

Blumwald and his lab colleagues are

investigating rice genes that will delay "leaf

senescence" — that normal phase when the

older leaves begin to decline and the plant, like

an aging factory, begins to shut down.Blumwald

and team hope to develop rice varieties that don't

rush quickly into senescence during drought

conditions, but rather continue the leaf-based

photosynthetic process that yields the nutrients

necessary to make the rice grains.

•The wheat genome contains 16 billion base

pairs — the molecules that make up DNA —

and is five times the size of the human

genome.Plant geneticists Jorge Dubcovsky, Jan

Dvorak and colleagues are mapping, isolating

and cloning genes from the massive wheat

genome, investigating the critical stages of the

development cycle, including genes that impact

a plant's drought tolerance.For example, genes

that allow wheat to flower a few days early —

saving precious irrigation water — could be

used to develop new climate-flexible wheat

varieties. Dubcovsky's laboratory also has

recently identified a region of a rye chromosome

that, when introduced into wheat, increases yield

and improves the water status of the plant under

limited irrigation. Dvorak's lab is working to

develop salt-tolerant wheat that could be

irrigated with poor-quality water, saving the

better water for other uses.

•The commercially grown modern peanut

emerged thousands of years ago from a natural

hybrid fusion between two wild peanut

ancestors, meaning that scientists find

themselves studying something of a double

genome.Research scientist Lutz Froenicke in

Professor Richard Michelmore's laboratory at

the UC Davis Genome Center developed "ultra-

high density" genetic maps for the two peanut

ancestor genomes.

These maps serve as frameworks for sorting the

pieces of the legume's genomic puzzle and then

putting them back together at the chromosome

scale, better equipping the world to make sure

that peanuts keep producing as the climate

changes.•Maize spans global cultures and eons

of time, having been domesticated some 9,000

years ago from wild tiosente grasses in Mexico

and elsewhere in Central America.Plant

geneticist Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra is studying the

genetic diversity and domestication of maize, as

well as maize breeding.

He's particularly interested in how maize

adapted from its origin in the lowlands of

Mexico to growing in the high altitudes of

Central and South America.Genes for those

adaptive traits might also prove invaluable in

developing corn or maize varieties that can

adjust to climate change.•For millions of the

world's poorest people, who are the most

vulnerable to famine, Simon Chan's research

offers hope for more resilient staple crops.Until

recently, ensuring a plant inherited its parents'

most valuable traits — such as drought tolerance

or pest resistance — required generations of

inbreeding.

Chan's "breeding true" discovery bypassed the

laborious process.With support from some of the

most prestigious grants in science, Chan was

working to apply his discoveries to staple foods

of the world's most impoverished regions. Just

months after he received tenure in UC Davis'

plant biology department, however, he died from

a rare autoimmune disease at the age of 38.

Inspired by his commitment to mentoring

students and his impact on modern agriculture,

his colleagues launched the Simon Chan

Memorial Endowment — with a gift from an

anonymous donor — in order to realize the

global potential of his work.

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_272972

43/uc-davis-scientists-work-id-food-crops-that

Basmati rice rates drop by

nearly 40% TNN | Jan 11, 2015, 12.28AM IST

Pune: Premium rice variety Basmati seems

to have become affordable for the common

man. The rates dropped nearly 40% over the

last season as retail prices hovered around

Rs 80-90 per kg. The fall in prices could be

attributed to higher production and a ban on

import of rice by the Iran government,

traders said on Saturday. Angshu Mallick,

chief operating officer of Adani Wilmar Ltd,

which entered the rice business this year,

told mediapersons that the new crop is now

available for yearly stocking at a very

attractive price.

India exports 38 lakh tonne of Basmati rice

every year with Iran buying about 40% of it.

The home market for Basmati is 12 lakh

tonne, with Maharashtra ranking highest in

consumption. Though the selling price has

come down, growers will not face losses as

high volume will make up for the set back

caused by lower purchase price, Mallick

said. Rajesh Shah of Jairaj & Company said

that Basmati is now available for a price

ranging from Rs 23 per kg to Rs 80 per kg

for the full-long grain variety. "There are

two varieties which people commonly

purchase for annual stocking: the Pusa 1121

and the traditional one with the latter

accounting for most of the sales," Shah said,

adding that last year's stock of Basmati is

available for a price of about Rs 110 per kg.

Besides the two main varieties of Basmati

— Pusa 1121 and the traditional variety —

Pusa 1509, a new variety, is making inroads

into the markets. Scientists who developed

the variety are confident of the new rice's

success because of its high yield. The

Basmati market in India is worth Rs 50,000

crore (2013-14) with exports accounting for

nearly 75% of the consumption. Saudi

Arabia and Iraq are among the importers.

Punjab and Haryana are the major Basmati-

growing states. The variety is also grown in

Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal

and parts of Rajasthan. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Bas

mati-rice-rates-drop-by-nearly-

40/articleshow/45838377.cms

Nigeria Set to Achieve Self-

sufficiency in Rice

Production, Say Investors 11 Jan 2015 Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina

By Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja

The Nigerian Rice

Investors‘ Group

has said that the

rice import quota

policy of the

federal government would ensure self-

sufficiency in rice production in the country.

The group also stated that the import quota

allocation given to rice investors went to

importers with verifiable local investments

in rice production, contrary to claims that it

was wrongly allocated.National President of

the Nigerian Rice Investors group, Mr.

Tunde Owoeye, in a joint press briefing

weekend in Abuja, noted that the rice policy

of the present administration is feasible and

visible. According to him, the import quota

was being allocated to the right people with

verifiable investments in rice production in

the country.

―We have seen some of our members who

were pure traders make huge investment in

local rice production. We also have seen

serious increase in employment and value

creation in the rice sector,‖ he said.Owoeye

added that the federal government provided

rice investors with improved seedlings, for

which reason rice production is getting

better. ―If you travel through Zamfara,

Niger, Benue, Sokoto and many other states

in the country, you will see vast plantations

of rice in the last two years,‖ he said.

Also at the briefing, Secretary of Rice

Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN)

and former Attorney General of the

Federation (AGF) Mr. Michael Aondoakaa

(SAN) stated that the rice quota allocations

were directed to wrong hands prior to the

administration of President Goodluck

Jonathan.―The truth is that many have

wished the old system where some highly

connected people influence rice quota

allocation, this administration made sure it

went to rice farmers with visible

investments,‖ he said.

Meanwhile, the National President, Rice

Millers, Importers and Distributors‘

Association of Nigeria (RMIDAN),

Abubakar Mohammed, observed that there

was only one processing mill in the whole of

Nigeria in the last five years, and the

number has increased to 24 mills by

2014.―We process 800,000 tonnes of paddy

rice annually and the government is putting

measures in place to produce additional

360,000 tonnes. All these happened by the

help of President Goodluck Jonathan and the

minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi

Adesina,‖ Abubakar stated. Tags: Akinwunmi Adesina, Featured, Nigeria, Business

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-set-

to-achieve-self-sufficiency-in-rice-production-

say-investors/198843/

Minister Dr. Damodar Rout

says MSME sector in

Odisha has huge scope for

development and growth

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Report by Odisha Diary bureau,

Bhubaneswar: The State Government is

organizing the 3rd MSME Trade Fair 2015

from 8th January to 14th January at

Bhubaneswar. As a part of MSME Trade

Fair, several workshops and seminars are

being held every day on different topics.

Today, a

workshop on

Promotion &

Development of

MSMEs through

Cluster

Approach was held. Dr. Damodar Rout,

Hon'ble Minister Cooperation & Excise,

Govt. of Odisha formally inaugurated the

workshop.

In his inaugural address he appreciated the

effort towards MSME development and

promotion by the state Government in recent

years. Adding that MSME sector in Odisha

has huge scope for development and growth,

he stated that if the sector is properly

developed, then Odisha won‘t have

poverty.Sri Panchanan Dash, Secretary

MSME, Govt. of Odisha participating in the

workshop explained in details about various

cluster development initiatives of the State

Government. He focused on how the cluster

development approach will help the MSMEs

to compete in the global market as well as

with big industries. He requested for quick

approval of several Cluster development

proposals submitted by the state

Government but still pending with the

Government of India.

Sri Samarendra Sahu, Add'l Development

Commissioner (MSME), Govt. of India gave

the assurance to try for quick approval of the

cluster development proposals of the state

Government while adding that he would

initiate steps to provide all support towards

MSME development in Odisha. Sri

Nityanand Palai, Director of Industries

briefed the participants on cluster

development programme.Sri Mukesh Gulati,

Ex-Country Head, UNIDO and presently

Executive Director of Foundation of MSME

Clusters made presentation on successful

Models of MSME clusters across the

country and globe.

Representative from National Productivity

Council and CTTC, Bhubaneswar explained

the details on Lean Manufacturing and

Design Clinic respectively. Overview on

financial appraisal of PPP projects in cluster

mode was briefed by representative from

SIDBI. Invitees from Ahmadabad based

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of

India and Indian Institute of Packaging,

Kolkata made presentation on successful

PPP projects in cluster mode across the

countries, packaging options and how

MSME products can be well packaged.

Sri B.K. Dash, Additional Director of

Industries extended vote of thanks to the

participants.Around 300 entrepreneurs

participated in the workshop. Sri Rohit

Singhal of M/s Bargarh Rice Millers

Consortium Private Limited shared his

experience in establishment of Solvent

Extraction Plant in Rice Milling Cluster at

Bargarh. A case study on Material Flow

Cost Accountancy was presented by Sri S.

Maiti, NPC, Kolkata.

30,000 visitors visited the trade fair and total

business to the tune of Rs. 57.16 lakh was

achieved with 1945 numbers of enquiries for

generation of business amounting to Rs.

741.20 lakhs approximately so far.

http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=56372#st

hash.5F4m4Gmo.dpuf