23 February,2015 Daily Global Rice E_Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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Rift between Sindh Balochistan Rice Millers

LARKANA: February 18, 2015. (nazir Siyal) A rift between Sindh Balochistan Rice Millers andTraders Association (SBRMTA) representatives of 1500 Rice millers in Sindh after rift andallegations of removal of three REAP-Rice Export Association of Pakistan members inSBRMTA told President Mr. Abro.Whereas, the removed members among Haji Ismail Shaikh,Zubari Memon and angry office bearers have decided to removal of President SBRMTA Abdul

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Aziz Abro by legally way presenting no confidence vote in upcoming CEC meeting to be held on22 February 2015.President SBRMTA Abdul Aziz Abro told this scribe that over hundredsmembers and general body called on the issue and decided to removal of these three membersand further told that they have misused of export the Sindh Rice in spite Punjab Rice and billionsof rice could not be exported of Sindh he alleged.

While addressing the press conference Senior Vice President Haji Qamaruddin Gopang, GeneralSecretary Assad Ali Tunio revealed that the SBRMTA President Abdul Aziz Abro has violated bylaws of organization and take extra constitutional steps by sacking three office bearers withoutseeking approval from executive committee and general body, he imposing his favorite which isviolation of rules and organization constitution. They said that President Abdul Aziz Abro hadno power to personally set-aside any office bearer it was delegated powers to executivecommittee and general body to decide and remove legal way, alleged him that due to his poor policies, rice mill owners and traders have faced loss of millions of rupees, President was unableto address the issues of rice millers, they said.

They alleged Mr Abro wanted to shift the head office to Karachi from Larkana to facilitatehimself and his favorites without consent of members and legal way, any dictatorial steps will bedealt with stiff resistance.Leaders told that 11 office bearers out of 15 are against the policies ofPresident and supporting to convene the executive committee to table no confidence requisitionagainst the President Abdul Aziz Abro on 22 February 2015.Former President Gada HussainMahessar told media men that Mr Abro has imposed martial law in Sindh Balochistan RiceMillers and Traders Association and inflicted the loss to organization by introducing dictatorialdecisions.

It is pertinent to mention here that President SBRMTA Abdul Aziz Abro had removed threemembers of Rice Exporters Pakistan including General Secretary Asad Ali Tunio, Ismail Shaikhand one other.On the occasion Vice President Amanullah Shaikh, Treasurer Ramesh Lal andothers were present.

Source with thanks: http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=5190

Aerobic cropping a good fitANDREW MARSHALL

23 Feb, 2015 03:00 AM

THE southern NSW rice industry is hoping to lift its water useefficiency by tapping into achievements being made by thefledgling North Queensland sector where it grows as a rowcrop.Unlike the traditional paddy rice crop, the current 350hectares planted in raised bed rows in the sub-tropical northrepresent a groundbreaking shift into commercial "aerobic" rice

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cropping.About 12 farms, mostly in the Burdekin Valley, now grow rice as a break crop on sugarcane country, supplementing the region's 900-plus millimetre annual rainfall with irrigationwaterings in much the same way cotton, maize or soybeans are grown.

While weed management is still being refined and yields vary widely from five tonnes to 10t/ha,

more farmers are keen get involved. Some as far north as Tully or in Central Queensland atEmerald have already given it a try.National rice marketer SunRice is encouraging researchefforts which could use northern crop experience, combined with breeding for better plant rootdevelopment and cold tolerance traits, to make Australia's 800,000t-plus rice industry morewater efficient.

Via its subsidiary Rice Research Australia, SunRice also hopes to enhance characteristics foundin temperate climate varieties grown in NSW Murrumbidgee and Murray valley's to liftQueensland yields.Researchers are also working hard to breed for improved resistance to theinternationally prevalent tropical fungus, rice blast.Rice blast has been a major impediment toexpanding the crop into northern Australia, particularly in the Ord irrigation areas.For the time

being, however, SunRice chief executive officer Rob Gordon regarded the Burdekin Valley asopening up an exciting new chapter for his industry.He said the Burdekin region, which previously grew ponded rice in the 1980s and '90s, had potential to expand the 80-year-oldindustry's production footprint and help boost rice exports at a time when Australian productionwas lagging well behind export needs.

Andrew Marshall is the national agribusiness writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media

Email: [email protected]

Source with thanks :http://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/general-news/aerobic-cropping-a-good-fit/2723503.aspx

Muse rice traders hoping New Years brings better luckBy Zaw Htike | Sunday, 22 February 2015

Muse-based rice traders are hopeful that the Year of the Sheep will improve their fortunes.

Rice exports to China have plummeted to almost nothing from peaks of 2000 tonnes a day

following a series of raids conducted by Chinese customs on allegedly illegal rice importers on

the Chinese side of the border.

The Muse commodity exchange centre is closed for Chinese NewYear from February 18 to 25. said Muse-base rice trader U Min

Thein. ―We hope trade will improve after the festival. We’reoptimistic.‖The customs raids carried out between September and

November were followed by a respite. But since the end of January,the raids have resumed with particular severity, traders say. One ofthe country’s leading rice exporters, who asked not to be named,

said, ―This time, the customs went looking for imported Myanmar

rice in the rice mills and warehouses in Ruili.

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They arrested some Chinese traders who had imported rice from Myanmar. This is worse than before.‖ He added that the crackdown had blocked exports of rice from Ayeyarwady, Bago, Sagaing,Yangon and Mandalay regions. ―Over a 10-day period, about 1 million rice bags were blocked inMuse. We have no idea what will happen next,‖ he said.On the other hand, the Myanmar andChinese governments have been working since the middle of last year to formalise the rice trade between them.

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding last September, and the Myanmar RiceFederation has designated nine companies that will register to export high-quality rice officially toChina, perhaps as early as the end of April or early May.The federation says it expects to export atleast 1 million tonnes of rice to China officially in 2015.In 2013-2014, Myanmar exported 800,000tonnes of rice to China through Muse.Image: Exports prepare cargo at 105 Mile export zone near Muse.Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Source with thanks:http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/13211-muse-rice-traders-hoping-new-years-brings-better-luck.html

Food segment outperforms peers in manufacturing

Mohiuddin Aazim

GROWING domestic and foreign demand, coupled with efficient e-marketing and backed by banklending, are fueling the growth of the lucrative food business.In FY12, when overall growth in large-scale

manufacturing was just 1.2pc, food sector’s output grew by 6.4pc. In FY13, the food sector’s

growth of 9.4pc beat overall LSM growth of 4.3pc and in FY14 production of food, beverages and tobacco companies

expanded 7.16pc against aggregate LSM output increase of3.95pc, official statistics show.The changes in output of foodsector is computed on the basis of variations in production ofaround 1900 companies of which the number of tobacco

companies is no more than a dozen or so.

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Some success stories, particularly those of big food companies, get public attention while a vastmajority of smaller food firms do not come under spotlight

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The stats, therefore, reflect more or less a true picture of what’s happening in the food

sector.Wheat, sugar and rice milling make up the core of food business with rice millersregularly catering to foreign buyers as well, and wheat and sugar millers tapping foreign marketsoff and on.Maize being the country’s fourth major food crop has huge export potential and in

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recent years Pakistan has been exporting more of value-added corn products than the mere maizegrains.

Moreover, dairy, meat and seafood sector s’ output has been growing on the back of higherdomestic demand due to growth of population, urbanisation and income levels, annual economic

surveys of the last few years reveal. Exports of dairy, meat and fish and fish products, too, haverecorded a modest to high growth.Also, business groups with focus elsewhere have realised how profitable it is to be in food sector and have accordingly ventured into it or, if they were alreadyin this business, expanded their production capacity.That is why, in recent years food companies,including multinationals, have witnessed robust growth in sales and profits.Half yearly sales of Nestle Pakistan, for example, rose to Rs50.3bn between January-June 2014 from Rs42.4bn ayear-ago and its net profit swelled to Rs4.6bn f rom Rs3.5bn.The company’s full year sales hadincreased two and half times within five years, from Rs34.2bn in 2008 to Rs86.2bn in 2013.

And, its net profit had surged from Rs1.55bn to Rs5.86bn.Engro Foods’ net sales also increased

to Rs12.4bn in the fourth quarter of 2014 from Rs9.9bn a year ago. In full year 2014, too, thecompany reported sales of Rs43bn against that of Rs37.9bn in 2013 which quadrupled its net profits to Rs889m from Rs210m.Similarly, Unilever Pakistan Foods’ sales grew to Rs4.105bn in

the first half of 2014 from Rs3.465bn a year-ago and its net profit increased to Rs619m from Rs469m. Earlier the company’s sales had surged to about Rs6.96bn in FY13 from around Rs5.86bn

in 2012 and its net profit had reached Rs1bn, up from about Rs729m.These are just glimpses ofhow food is performing but reflects a trend not setting in, but taking roots.Most of the non-listedcompanies are also doing good business taking advantage of low cost of production and highlydiversified market in terms of purchasing power of the middle class end-consumers.

The food companies’ successes are attributed to growing demand of processed and value-addeditems on the back of a growing trend of processed food consumption.Fusing foreign demand forPakistani food items has increased exports of fruits and vegetables, pulses, spices, nuts, meat,fish and other seafood, dairy products and hundreds of other items. Dollar earnings of all fooditems, (minus rice, wheat and sugar), increased from $1.762bn in FY11 to $2.023bn in FY12 to$2.256bn in FY13 before slipping to $2.167bn in the last fiscal year. Behind the increasing trendin these food items are success stories of dozens of large and thousands of small food companiesengaged in production or value-addition of food products.

Whereas some success stories particularly those of big food companies get public attention, a

vast majority of smaller food sector companies do not come under spotlight.The strong performance of food business has attracted bank lending, making it possible for producers andexporters of various sub-sectors to build capacity and improve quality of their products. In FY14, banks net loans to food sector rose to Rs26bn from Rs16bn in FY13. And in the first half of thisfiscal year banks’ have so far lent Rs15bn to this sector, SBP stats reveal.As more and more foodcompanies continue to obtain international standardisation certificates, bankers say they find it


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easier to lend to them. The certification enables the industry to sell more to high-end localmarkets and boost exports with better returns required to repay bank loans.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, February 23rd, 2015

Source with thanks:http://www.dawn.com/news/1165250/food-segment-outperforms-peers-in-manufacturing

Green Revolutions 2.0 & 3.0: No farmer left behindWritten by Gene Hettel.

Several million of the world's poorest farmers are alreadyadopting one of the first new technologies of the secondGreen Revolution (GR2.0) — flood-tolerant rice! Thiswas the optimistic pronouncement of Robert Zeigler ,

director general of the International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI), during his keynote address to kick offthe 4th International Rice Congress(IRC2014) inBangkok on 28 October 2014. More than 1,500 delegates

from 69 countries attended the week-long IRC, touted as the Olympics of Rice Science.

Start of GR2.0 pinpointed

It is thanks to one farmer, Mr. Asha Ram Pal from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, that Dr.Zeigler pinpoints, at least in his opinion, the exact start of GR2.0. It was 31.07.2008 13:17 (1:17

in the afternoon of 31 July 2008) — the exact moment in time when, ignoring the advice of hisneighbors by showing faith in the science, Mr. Pal decided not to plow under his severely flood-ravaged and sick-looking rice crop on his 1-hectare field that had been submerged for around 17days across two floods.

Well, those rice plants with the SUB1 flood-tolerance gene recovered to yield 4.5 tons, a goodyield for any rainfed paddy in the world!

"This was — unambiguously — the start of GR2.0," Dr. Zeigler said, "because for any agriculturalrevolution to be successful, farmers must adopt the product of the science. Since then, Sub1 ricevarieties have spread like wildfire in eastern India and other regions where flooding is a

perennial problem for farmers growing their crop in such marginal environments."

According to the internationally respected plant pathologist who has led IRRI for the last 9 years,the new technology can be attributed primarily to high-level and high-quality science — science publishable in the top scientific journals in the world — brought to bear on the problems infarmers' fields.

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Indeed, one scientific study indicated that "the scheduled castes are likely to be a major beneficiary from the spread of Swarna-Sub1 in India. "When I read this last paragraph of thestudy, I literally got goose bumps," he told the delegates. "The scheduled castes are the lowest ofthe low. So, this technology — the most exquisite research from some of the finest laboratories inthe world — is significantly benefiting the poorest of the poor. Now if that is not scientific

revolution, I don’t know what is. It gives me great pride to be a scientist and to be associatedwith the people who have done this work."

GR3.0 will stagger the imagination

"GR2.0's run will be fruitful — and quicker than GR1.0 — particularly for farmers in marginalweather- sets the stage for GR1.0 stressed environments," Dr. Zeigler predicted. He said there isa very wide array of problems, previously thought to be absolutely insurmountable, thatresearchers can now address more rapidly using the scientific tools coming out of parallel high-science revolutions in genetics, molecular biology, and plant physiology.

According to Dr. Zeigler, GR2.0 is allowing researchers to successfully meet great challengeswith unprecedented research efforts that will result in unparalleled impact — ranging from miningthe rice genomes and wild relatives of rice for needed traits to developing climateready rice andfrom fighting human malnutrition with more nutritious rice to better management of water andnutrient resources in farmers' rice fields.

"Over the next 10 to 20 years, during which GR2.0 will phase into GR3.0, we will seizeopportunities for sustainable rice production in ways that will stagger our imagination," heconfidently forecasted. In another bold prediction, he envisions the start of GR3.0 sometime

around 2030 when farmers start planting yield plateau-busting C4 and nitrogen-fixing ricevarieties and consumers begin finding broad-based nutritious rice in the marketplace.

Summarizing the GR series

Dr. Zeigler summarized for the delegates what he calls the ongoing Green Revolution Series."GR1.0, which basically built a high-yield plant architecture adapted to the low-stressenvironments, is justly criticized for benefitting only farmers in those relatively stress-freeareas," he said. "GR2.0 is incorporating tolerance to severe stresses and additional nutritionalvalue and ultimately, as already mentioned, is leaving no farmer behind. GR3.0 will accelerate

the evolution of the rice plant itself. It will effectively produce designer rice by leavingno Oryzaspecies untapped."

Young scientists will lead the charge

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3837307/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3837307/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3837307/http://c4rice.irri.org/http://c4rice.irri.org/http://c4rice.irri.org/http://irri.org/our-impact/making-rice-healthierhttp://irri.org/our-impact/making-rice-healthierhttp://irri.org/our-impact/making-rice-healthierhttp://irri.org/our-impact/making-rice-healthierhttp://c4rice.irri.org/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3837307/


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During a media briefing following his keynote, Dr. Zeigler told reporters that leading the chargeof the sciencebased GR2.0 and 3.0 is the next crop of vibrant, intelligent, and caring youngscientists. They are in league with IRRI through the Global Rice Science Partnership and its fiverice-breeding hubs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Many attended their first-everInternational Rice Congress in Bangkok. Twentynine of these young rice scientists were chosento present their research during the science sessions and they were formally recognized for thisnotable achievement during the IRC gala dinner (photo above)."The future of rice science is atstake because without new blood in the experiment plots and laboratories, the outlook for acontinuing GR2.0 would be grim and there wouldn’t even be a GR3.0," he warned reporters.

Source with thanks:IRRI

A passion for growing rice in VenezuelaWritten by Adriana Varón Molina.

Finding a way to increase rice production in thecountry with the largest petroleum reserves in theworld — and thus ample means to pay forimports — has posed a colossal challenge forVenezuela’s farmers over the last 4 decades.

Today, they produce about 1 million tons of paddyrice annually — down 300,000 tons from 8 yearsago. But the country’s rice sector is working hard

to regain its strength of an earlier 20-year period,when it not only met local demand but alsoexported its surplus to its neighboring countries.

For now, though, Venezuelan growers can supply only 65% of the rice consumed domestically — about 1.2 million tons. According to Pedro Luis Cordero, president of the National RiceFoundation (Fundarroz), the breaking point for the country's rice growers came in 2006, when

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the government changed the rules of the game, pushing production in both the public and privatesector to the edge of the abyss.Since then, growers have been hard pressed to obtain inputs, suchas seed, fertilizer, and replacement parts for agricultural machinery, and have met with logisticalobstacles in transporting harvested grain. Against this background, a resurgence of rice inVenezuela has just one thing going for it: an expanding culture of innovation.

Six steps to success

Farmer Rafael Urdaneta, though originally from the city of San Cristóbal, began growing rice 23years ago near Calabozo in the state of Guárico, one of Venezuela's main rice-growing areas. Hehas decided to give new crop management practices a try on his 600 hectares, following to theletter the six key steps that Fundarroz and the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR)are promoting to boost productivity. His reward is rice yields of 8 – 11 tons per hectare, wellabove the national average of 4.27 tons.

Adjusting the planting date and density, using treated seed to ward off disease pathogens,ensuring proper weed control and fertilization, and managing water adequately are the practicesthat have made the difference for Mr. Urdaneta."The key is using exactly the right amount ofinputs and planting at the optimum time to realize the full genetic potential of the improvedvarieties," says Mr. Urdaneta, a beneficiary of the Guárico River Irrigation System. He cites twoother factors that also help account for the unprecedented rice productivity in his fields: directseeding and his passion for what he does.

Crazy neighbors

About 500 kilometers away, near Majaguas in the state of Portuguesa, other passionate farmersare following the six points to success as well, in addition to using direct seeding in their ricefields. Eubencio Terán, Óscar Álvarez, Venturino Cicconetti, and Nicola Campo have allexchanged conventional production practices for the new approach. After several years of trialand error, they now serve as models for other farmers who visit their fields to see their secretformula.

"We started rotating rice with other crops such as maize,sugarcane, and soybean, and we’ve also adopted directseeding and now plant in straight lines rather than in

contour lines," says Mr. Cicconetti, who boosted hisaverage rice yield from 5 tons per hectare to 9 – 11 tons."We’ve gone from three rice harvests annually to two or

just one, and we’re using newer machinery.

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"Mr. Terán is following Mr. Cicconetti's footsteps. Four years ago, he began rotating crops on hisfarm, La Celinera: irrigated rice in the dry season and rainfed maize in the rainy season. Mr.Terán now harvests 8 tons of rice and 5 tons of maize per hectare. But still, he has set his sightson the goal of raising the yield of both crops by 2 tons per hectare."Before, people called me the'crazy neighbor.' They were convinced that the new technologies would fail," says Mr. Terán,

who has been farming for 25 years. "There are still some small-scale farmers in this area who arereluctant to change, but there are also a lot more crazy neighbors like me."

Racing to close yield gaps

In Venezuela's race to raise rice productivity and close yield gaps, various organizations deserverecognition for their efforts in support of this work. FLAR, the International Center for TropicalAgriculture (CIAT), and several national organizations — including Fundarroz, the WesternPlains Association of Certified Seed Producers (Aproscello), the Venezuelan Federation of RiceProducers’ Associations (Fevearroz), the Danac Foundation, and other public and private sector

actors — have joined forces, using their respective experiences with innovation in technologydevelopment, genetic improvement, and marketing to restore the country’s self -sufficiency inrice.Daniel Brito, a Fundarroz agronomist and extension officer, is in charge of the program fortechnology transfer in the state of Portuguesa.

Every week, he visits farmers in the region who are following the six steps as well as those whohaven’t yet decided to take the technological leap. "The idea is to increase the number of rice

growers to learn about successful experiences and to adopt innovative practices on their farms,"says Mr. Brito.According to Fuaz Kassen, the president of Fevearroz, Venezuela's rice growerscan satisfy local demand and cater to Central America and the Caribbean markets. "The future of

rice in Venezuela lies outside the country," he says. "We need more capital investment to expand production into new areas and the adoption of new technologies with state support."Apart fromgiving Venezuela plenty of "black gold," nature has provided it with other riches as well,including fertile land, abundant water, and an ideal climate. These, together with newtechnologies, should suffice to allow innovative rice growers to regain control of the nation’s

food security, win back former clients, and open new pathways toward rice exports.

_____________________________________________

Ms. Varón Molina is communications coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at CIAT.

Source with thanks:Phil Rice

Amay’s House: A fragrant and rare Myanmarese find

ALEXANDRA GILLVANCOUVER — The Globe and MailPublished Friday, Feb. 20 2015, 11:34 PM EST

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Last updated Saturday, Feb. 21 2015, 3:42 PM EST

Aung San Suu Kyi stares down serenely from a framed portrait hung on a neon-tangerine wall.Her placid image, a cherished fixture in most Myanmarese homes and restaurants, doesn’t help

calm our mounting impatience.Myanmar’s First Lady of Freedom may have sustained millions

of impoverished followers and their thirst for democracy during her 15 years of house arrest. Butwe unworthy gluttons are obviously impervious to the charms of her Buddhist grace. As fragrantfried rice, fishy noodle soups and oily curries pile up on nearby tables, we anxiously drum ourfingers, gulp our water and eventually stand up, waving to the sole server for attention.Oh, forthe shame of first-world hunger pains.

The military junta that controlled Myanmar (formerly Burma) from 1962 to 2011 may havefailed to crush Ms. Suu Kyi’s non-violent resistance. But it did largely succeed in controlling themigration of the nation’s cuisine with sealed borders and restrictions on travel.Myanmareserestaurants are relatively rare in North America.In Vancouver, there are three: Amay’s House,Wahh Tee Burmese and Laska King (Rangoon closed last month).All have their virtues, but

Amay’s House, open now for almost two years, offers the most extensive menu and traditionaldishes. A modest mom-and-pop eatery, it is owned by Hihaa Kyaw and his wife, Mya Nyunt.Before they came to Canada in 1996, Mr. Kyaw worked as a cook at the Inya Lake Hotel,a four-star, colonial-style resort in Yangon (formerly Rangoon).

He also trained as a pastry chef, which explains why his prata, a flat-grilled bread made fromlayers and layers of oiled dough, is so light and airy – almost like a thin, crispy croissant. Do tryit folded inside a creamy egg omelet that you can dress with a clear fish sauce with lime juicecalled ngapi (similar to Thai nam pla) -- if your ravenous friends don’t beat you to the side bowland drain it first. Grrr.Myanmarese cuisine – it still sounds strange not to call it Burmese – isstrongly influenced by the cooking styles of India, Thailand, Cambodia and China.The first

Indian settlers arrived in 250 B.C. – long before the Tibetans (ninth century A.D.) and theChinese conquest (1272). Deep, dark curries – built on a basic paste made from onion, garlic,chili, ginger and turmeric – are common.

The paste is heated in a smoking wok, like Chinese cooking, and reduced until the oil floats tothe top. But the flavour isn’t greasy, probably because lighter peanut and sesame oils areused.Amay’s House makes a fantastic chicken biryani, slow roasted and richly redolent ofcardamom. It’s served on the bone, in a bed of pale yellow and bright orange saffron-scented basmati rice. The rice was silky and buttery. Mr. Kyaw wouldn’t reveal his secrets, but we thinkit was finished with ghee.Myanmarese cuisine also offers many cold salads, including adistinctively funky fermented tea leaf salad. The fishy ferment gives the tea a pungent, murky

flavour and its caffeine will leave diners with a jolty buzz. But when mixed with fresh citrus, redonion, chunky peanuts and crispy lentils, the salad is actually quite lively and refreshing. (WahhTee Burmese actually makes the brightest version of this ubiquitous dish; Laska King’s was a bit

dark and dreary.)

Even better, is the ginger salad at Amay’s House. It’s tossed with the same choppy mix of

peanuts, yellow peas, broad beans and sesame seeds. But instead of tea leaves, slivered gingerroot pickled in vinegar is the main ingredient.Royal noodle salad is one of my new favourite


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comfort foods. At Amay’s House, the thick udon noodles (another Chinese influence) are prettily

topped with chicken curry, dried bean powder, fried noodles, fresh cilantro, raw onion and boiledegg, all separated into their own sections. You pour a bowl of fish soup over the noodles and mixit yourself.

It’s hearty and rich, yet again bright and herbaceous. At Wahh Tee Burmese, they add shrimp powder, which it gives it even more sticky heft.Last but not least on the must-try list is mohinga.The lightly flavoured catfish chowder, bobbing with rice noodles and crispy lentil cakes, widelyconsidered Myanmar’s national dish. All three restaurants make it slightly different. LaskaKing’s is the heaviest, almost a stew, laden with extra lentils and a slightly gelled broth. Wahh

Tee has the boldest chili heat, which sneaks up the back of the throat and slowly seduces.

Amay’s House is the lightest because, as Mr. Kyaw explained, he uses semolina flour insteadrice flour.Although Amay’s House is the best of the bunch, adventurous eaters will want to tryall three restaurants. Just be patient with poor Ms. Nyunt, who serves the dishes (alone) as fast asher husband can cook them. Great food, like freedom, comes to those who wait.

Source with thanks:The Globe and Mail Inc

US pledges continued support for Pakistan as Interior

Minister Nisar meets NSA Susan Rice

Saturday, 21 February 2015 13:14

Posted by Parvez Jabri

WASHINGTON: The United States has pledged continued support forPakistan's fight against terror, as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khanand White House National Security Advisor discussed bilateral relations,efforts for regional stability and the need to align support for Afghan

reconciliation.

"They agreed to continue working together as partners against the threat of terrorism," the WhiteHouse said in a statement, after the meeting."They also discussed ways to mutually supportregional stability in the near term, highlighting the need to align support for Afghan-ledreconciliation efforts and continue regular US-Pakistani engagement," the statementadded.Ambassador Rice commended the role played by Pakistan's delegation, which MinisterKhan led, at the White House-hosted Summit on Countering Violent Extremism.PresidentObama's Special Assistant on Afghanistan and Pakistan Jeff Eggers joined NSA Rice in themeeting, the Pakistani embassy said.

"The two leaders exchanged views on matters of mutual interest in both bilateral and regionalcontext. Expressing satisfaction on the state of play in the bilateral relationship, both sides agreed

http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.html


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to continue the momentum of cooperation generated in the wake of last Ministerial session of thestrategic dialogue process held in Islamabad."Rice "commended the resolve of the leadership and people of Pakistan to deal with terrorism in a comprehensive manner. NSA Rice assured theInterior Minister of the continued US support for Pakistan's efforts to eliminate terrorism."Notingthe timely US initiative to convene the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, the Interior

Minister apprised NSA Rice about the ongoing military operations and steps being taken infollow up to the National Action Plan to eliminate terrorism.Rice appreciated the sacrifices andcommitment of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Source with thanks:http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.html

Quota restricting rice export to Malaysia

February 22, 2015

Despite having potential of over 0.2 to 0.3 million tons

annually, Pakistan could export just 119,358 tons rice to

Malaysia during last fiscal year due to quota restrictions

by the Malaysian government. The exporters have laid

emphasis on more export of rice from Pakistan to

Malaysia and requested the Malaysian Consul General and

Trade Consul to assist them in this respect. They notedthat the balance of trade between Pakistan and Malaysia is

tilted in favour of Malaysia for a long time and in order to

narrow down the trade deficit, there is dire need for increasing export of non-traditional items as

well as the existing items being exported to Malaysia.

The rice exporters invited the attention of the government to focus on the international markets

of China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bahrain for strengthening the rice export trade, which is

ultimately beneficial for all the stakeholders, particularly the growers of rice. He added that

depressed prices in international rice markets are affecting overall agricultural sectors of all rice

exporting countries of the world.Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) chairman

Rafique Suleman also highlighted the trade between Pakistan and Malaysia and said that the

trade balance is in the favour of Malaysia, as a huge quantity of palm oil is imported from

Malaysia, whereas our exports are negligible.

http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.htmlhttp://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/226602-us-pledges-continued-support-for-pakistan-as-interior-minister-nisar-meets-nsa-susan-rice.html


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He emphasized that Government of Pakistan must take measures to balance the trade and talks

must be held with Malaysian government to discuss the possibilities to export 200,000 Metric

Ton of Pakistani rice to Malaysia.Discussing rice export to Bahrain, he said that Pakistan has

exported 27,805 tons of rice worth $26,213,194 during July 2013 to June 2014.He said that

Bahrain is also a high potential market for Pakistani rice and we request government to furtherimprove mutual economic relations which will be beneficial in bilateral trade between the two

countries.

―There is immense scope for expanding the existing volume of bilateral trade between the two

countries which currently stands at $200 million. Currently there are approximately 100,000

Pakistanis living in Bahrain and it was one of the favourite destinations for Pakistanis working

abroad and we welcomed the decision of the Bahrain government to award dual nationality to

some of them.Discussing rice export to China, he said that Pakistan has exported 353,675 tons

rice worth $128,068,072 during July 2013 to June 2014.―REAP noticed that China has madeseveral G-2-G deals with other neighboring countries, e.g. the contract with Thailand, MoU with

Cambodia. Since the total rice import quota of China is limited, we’ve afraid that the market

share of Pakistani rice in China will decline.

In order to further strengthen the bilateral rice trade relations, we request Government of

Pakistan to arrange similar mechanism, like China done with Thailand and Cambodia, in order to

stabilize the rice trade between China and Pakistan. We hope we could export additional 200,000

M/Tons good quality Pakistani rice every year, star ting from Year 2015.‖

Source with thanks:http://nation.com.pk/business/22-Feb-2015/quota-restricting-rice-export-to-malaysia

US, Pakistan discuss methods to mutually support regional

stability

PTI

WASHINGTON, FEB 21:

Top officials of US and Pakistan have discussed methods to work together as partners andmutually support regional stability in the near term to fight against terrorism, the White Househas said.National Security Advisor Susan Rice had met with the Pakistan Minister of Interior,Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, at the White House yesterday.During the meeting, Rice commendedthe role played by Pakistan’s delegation led by Minister Khan at the Summit on Countering

Violent Extremism.

http://nation.com.pk/business/22-Feb-2015/quota-restricting-rice-export-to-malaysiahttp://nation.com.pk/business/22-Feb-2015/quota-restricting-rice-export-to-malaysiahttp://nation.com.pk/business/22-Feb-2015/quota-restricting-rice-export-to-malaysiahttp://nation.com.pk/business/22-Feb-2015/quota-restricting-rice-export-to-malaysia


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―They agreed to continue working together as partners against the threat of terrorism,‖ said

Bernadette Meehan, Spokesperson of the National Security Council.―They also discussed waysto mutually support regional stability in the near term, highlighting the need to align support forAfghan-led reconciliation efforts and continue regular US-Pakistani engagement,‖ Meehansaid.Rice had earlier called for a renewed commitment to building a world unmarred by

terrorism and ideologies of violence.(This article was published on February 21, 2015)

Source with thanks:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/international/us-pak-discuss-methods-to-mutually-support-regional-stability/article6919530.ece

Bringing new technologies in the uplands

APRIL M. JOSE Every day, Margie Baclay, 21, hopes to have a

bountiful harvest as this means more money to buyrice and send her two children to school.The young

farmer and single parent belongs to the Aetacommunity that lives in the mountains of Brgy. Sta.

Rosa, Bamban, Tarlac.Struggling to make both endsmeet, Margie had to stop her elementary education

and resorted to what most people in the rural areascling on – farming.

For almost a decade now, she has been planting banana, gabi, papaya, sugar cane, and other

crops without applying fertilizers and pesticides. She relies on the richness of the soil. She believes that the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 left their mountains with volcanic ashes that

made the soil fertile.Farming in the uplands is challenging, according to Margie. No questionsasked.―I dig the soil of a steep mountainside and pull the weeds one by one while sitting on a

heap,‖ she says.From the mountain down to the river, she fetches water for her plants. Shedescends from the mountain for an hour to sell her produce and accompany her children to

school.

During the rainy season, the mountain trail gets slippery and dangerous. Hence, she waits forgood weather to bring her produce to the market while her children stay at home. She recalls thatafter the eruption of the volcano, they have not cultivated upland rice due to the unavailability of

seeds.In 2013, the DA’s Upland Rice Development Program reached the Aeta community andre-introduced upland rice farming.

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Margie’s family did not hesitate on trying the new technology and started planting a 2 -kg

traditional rice variety known as ―Pinilisa‖ in May 2014 and harvested 25 kg of seeds in

October.―I learned the science behind upland rice farming and how to make our own organic

fertilizer,‖ shares Margie. She decided to keep the seeds for mass production and share them

later to their fellow farmers. Margie reports they are eager to try new agricultural technologiesand revive upland rice farming in their community.

Culture and identity

According to upland rice technologist Julian Macadamia of PhilRice, the Aetas are receptive to

new technologies.―Margie and her community were able to balance new and old practices. TheAetas have a way of adopting new technologies while k eeping their identity intact,‖ he says.―The

Aetas are not afraid of change because they know how to be a conduit of the old and the new.They become better through knowledge acquisition but still remain who they are – that for me is

a good example of an unconventional farmer,‖ he adds.

Rice cultivation in general is highly valued by Aetas. They acquire rice through barter or withthe money they make from selling vegetables, root crops, wild fruits, or tubers to the

lowlanders.―As long as my family doesn’t sleep with an empty stomach, I will be happy with

what I do every day despite the challenges that we face in farming,‖ Margie reassures

herself.The sight of her crops growing assures her that her family will have something to eat.

She’s surely adept in survival matters.

For her, she can’t think of any way of making a living apart from tilling the land. If by chance

there will be additional jobs available, she would not totally abandon the land that provides themfood.―Indeed, this land on top of the mountain is a gift to our ancestors and to us,‖ Margie

becomes emphatic and emotional.And as the day ends, Margie sleeps with her dreams. She believes that through farming, her children will, unlike her, remain in school.

Tagged as: amjose, technology, upland

Source with thanks:http://pinoyrkb.com/philricemagazine/volume-28-2015/new-wave-of-farmers/bringing-new-technologies-in-the-uplands/

Strings of Young Ideas

JOHN GLEN S. SAROL and JAYSON C. BERTO

The infomediary campaign made its first step two years ago. Now, it’s taking huge strides.With

its initiative to mobilize high school students to serve as information providers in their rice-

farming communities — it treks on as it continues to involve over a hundred schools

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nationwide.Certainly, the campaign has gone a long way.Eventful enough, in fact, that several

practices can now be emulated toward engaging young people in agriculture.Best-fit practices

The campaign team draws added inspiration from strings of innovative ideas growing from

teachers among participating schools.For certain teachers in Davao Oriental, Kalinga, Albay, and Negros Oriental, the best way to re-echo the campaign is through the Parents and Teachers

Association (PTA) meetings.

The info-drive on Climate Change and Rice

Production module was performed in OccidentalMindoro and Negros Oriental where students

relayed to farmers modern technologies in ricefarming such as the Minus-One-Element

Technique (MOET), Leaf Color Chart (LCC), andcontrolled irrigation, among others.Elizabeth

Pajarillo, a crop production teacher in MindoroOccidental, said that exposing students in

community-based activities is a good opportunityfor farmers to appreciate tips on rice production coming from them.

In some cases, teachers were clever enough to maximize the use of ICTs in promoting thecampaign’s components.This is evident in Samar and Bulacan where students promoted the

PhilRice Text Center by posting bond paper-sized campaign materials in public places inside andoutside their campuses.The campaign also relies upon good collaboration among Internet and

Computer Fundamentals (ICF) and other instructors.

In Claveria Rural Vocational School in Cagayan, for instance, the crop protection teacher and the

ICF instructor developed a computer-based quiz on infomediary campaign-related topics.―Wethought of a way to make the campaign much more challenging and exciting. We’ve developed

the Nutri E-Quiz featuring PhilRice’s Infomediary Campaign and the Pinoy Rice KnowledgeBank. Right now, it’s the second year of E-quiz implementation,‖ Allan Tomas, the quiz

developer said.While innovative campaign methods are being executed in most schools, ripplesof information are equally helpful.

In Sarangani, for instance, Malalag National High School (MNHS) disseminated the campaign by sharing the learning modules as well as some seeds to its neighboring schools.―We still plan

to reach out to other schools and share modules on rice production. This is our way ofcontributing to the campaign since it has been helpful for us. This would also address the lack of

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textbooks on rice production,‖ Onofre Labrador, MNHS instructor said.

MNHS has thus far reached out to Maguiling NHS, Wali Integrated School, and Salakit NHS.InBulacan, Balagtas Agricultural High School integrates rice production through essays in English

and Filipino subjects.

The key school officials are also supportive of the campaign.To encourage other schools to

replicate these practices, the campaign team has created a Facebook group where representativesof Infomediary campaign-participating schools can post all activities they are

doing.―Technically, however, it is not much about replicating the best-fit practices. Such practices require that we work hard to determine which strategies will work best given specific

development contexts.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach in implementing development initiatives. It is

all about asking and seeing from there which strategies will work best,‖ Jaime Manalo IV, thecampaign lead clarified.

Outcomes

From the evaluation, 94% of the students performed their role as infomediaries, either by sending

text messages to PTC, searching information from the PRKB, or reading publications on ricefrom their school libraries.Meanwhile, 41% of them reported their parents and other farmers

believed in their recommendations.

Collaboration with local government units also exists, as reports in Albay show local officialsand farmers attending the PTA meetings. In Cagayan, a local executive lent land for the ricegarden in Claveria.The doubts on whether farmers would believe students who have inadequate

experience on rice farming are now being slowly erased.Across sites, the students reported their parents believed them. An infomediary in Bulacan, for instance, managed to convince her father

and uncle to minimize the use of pesticides in their fields after she shared with them the conceptof harmful and helpful organisms.

―Before, I just sprayed on every insect I saw in the farm. Now, I try to avoid spraying on helpful

organisms,‖ Marcelo Hernandez, farmer -parent, said in Filipino.Farmers from nearby areas haveasked for seeds from the participating schools. This has been the case in Cagayan, DavaoOriental, and Sarangani. Certified seeds have 10% yield advantage over home-saved seeds being

used by some farmers.

Through field days, farmers are introduced to the PhilRice-produced seeds. They then see theschools as sources not only of information but also of seeds.By the end of the day, so to speak,


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the infomediary campaign is still young and is equally innovative as the young generation.With

the strings of ideas from its partners, active involvement of the youth, plus the heart that beats forfarming, the campaign is just waiting to take its next big leap.

Tagged as: agriculture, infomediary, jcberto, jgssarol, youth

Source with thanks: Phil Rice

Modern agriculturists

ASHLEE P. CANILANG and ANDREI B. LANUZA ―Ayaw ko kumuha ng agriculture [course]. Anomakukuha kong trabaho dyan?‖ (I don’t want to

take up Agriculture. What job can I possibly getwith it?).Admit it, many of us must have heard or

read about this statement or its variant somewherein time. The thought of working in agriculture or

on a farm could be alien to young urban and ruralFilipinos.Dr. Eduardo Bagtang, president of the

Kalinga-Apayao State College, stated in an

interview with the Manila Times that the main

reason why the children of farmers do not want to take on agriculture-related professions is thatthey’ve seen how their parents toil in the field day after day but barely able to make ends meet.

Even our college education system is primarily focused on preparing the youth for employment,not entrepreneurship.Fortunately, not all Filipino youngsters have lost faith in agriculture.

Changing the game

Friends Ryan Aguas, Enzo Pinga, and Illian Pascual, while studying abroad, met in New York

City to discuss plans of starting an agriculture-related business in the Philippines when they

return. They wanted to create an impact by helping Filipino farmers and believed agriculture isthe best way to go about it. Illian, a mechanical engineer, introduced them to vertical farming(aquaponics), since sustainability and green agriculture were among his interests.

The trio realized that aquaponics may just be the technology they needed to pursue agriculture

given that it requires no soil and is modular; the perfect setup in an urban environment whereland for farming use is limited. Thus was the beginning of the Bahay Kubo Organics (BKO),

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based in Muntinlupa City.BKO is a young social enterprise that vows to help address food

security in the Philippines. They grow crops, and help communities in rural areas throughcapacity- building via training and education. Currently, these three guys are mostly supplying

produce to friends and relatives but someday wish to expand to more clients.

―We established partnerships with many different organizations in all of our community builds,including the Fairplay for All Foundation, Mu Sigma Phi, GK Sta. Rita, Dream Project PH,

Rotary Club of Bacolod South, ASSIST, and Kawil Tours. The projects we do with theseorganizations mainly focus on engaging communities interested in learning about the technology

and applying it in their own areas‖, says Ryan.

All in the family

Passing-the-baton best defines the Gapuz Grape Farm in Bauang, La Union. The farm started

with 50 prunes of grapes through the passion and efforts of Cirillo & Roger Gapuz, father andson, during the late 1980s. During those times, grape vineyard was unpopular in the area, and a

number of tourists and customers doubted the quality of the local harvest. Through the years,father-and-son tandem strove until they were able to expand their vineyard and market reach.

Thus, the beginning of the Farm, now among the local tourist attractions in the municipality.The passion and dedication to grape farming have lingered within the present generation.

The baton was passed on to Danica, the eldest daughter of Roger, a human resource course

graduate and currently a consultant in Makati City. Doubling as sales and marketing manager ofthe Gapuz Grape Farm, she also operates the vineyard’s social media site.It wasn’t hard f or

Danica to engage in grapes despite having a stable job, as she grew up exposed to farm work.And she was not sour-graping. Through her efforts, the farm expanded and gained new clients.

Thanks to social media, they now have customers in Visayas and Mindanao; clients who are notonly purchasing the fruits but also the cuttings that they grow in their own backyards.―Thedemand for grapes outside our locale is huge.

This is why we decided to make our own social media account to help in promotion. Through it,

our network stretched, and we now have customers as far as Davao City,‖ said Danica.Her active

marketing drives paid off when the Farm was featured on national TV. As a result, Danica

became one member of the Go Negosyo Young Agriprenuers, and is occasionally invited todeliver talks on radio about grape farming. The increased sales and income due to more media

exposure helped the Gapuz family to purchase another piece of land in their area. According toDanica, part of the new farm will grow dragon fruit and local vegetables.

A goldmine in plain sight


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Ryan of BKO sees Philippine agriculture as rich with potential. All people need to do is tap onthe right resources. ―Although we currently are not meeting the agricultural needs in our country,

we believe that if we continue on this path and improve our agriculture by providing more

support, then we aren’t too far away from being self -sustaining,‖ he added.Danica is of the sameopinion. ―Farming and agriculture as a whole has a huge potential for generating income. Youthtoday should be educated that agriculture is not just having your sweat, blood, and tears flow to

sustain your crops. Agriculture can be rewarding when treated as a business‖ she reflected.

Tagged as: ablanuza, apcanilang, modern agriculture

Source with thanks:http://pinoyrkb.com/philricemagazine/volume-28-2015/new-wave-of-farmers/modern-agriculturists/

Fresh Forces in Farming

MYRIAM G. LAYAOEN

Ana Sibayan uses a pen and some sheets of paper to prepare for her presentation. She is about to

face more than 300 scientists, extension workers, policy makers, academicians, among other

participants in a prestigious international conference on agriculture and rural development. Hertopic – attracting the youth to engage in agriculture.

At 25, Ana is one of the youngest

farmer-leaders in the country. In herhometown Victoria in Mindoro Oriental,

she juggles her time between farmingand school as she devotes most of it to

encouraging young individuals to

cultivate lands.Deciding to farm,

Sibayan’s choices in life are rather rare

compared to most of the youth her age.―Isee how we survive in our town andfarming is definitely something we can’t

live without. I want the younger generation to realize their worth in feeding us. We, the youth,

have a crucial role to play,‖ Sibayan said.

Numbers speak

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Looking at global figures on youth engagement in agriculture, Ana is indeed one in a million.

Although a lot of young people aged 15-40 have shown interest in farming, they are just a small portion of the population.The International Labor Organization (ILO) reported in 2014 that

agriculture accounts for more than 32% of the world’s employment, and 39% in Asia and the

Pacific’s developing countries. Yet, agriculture remains at the bottom of the youth’s most preferred job list.

They look at agriculture as the ―past and antithesis of progress,‖ the ILO contends.African

countries carry a major burden in handling more than 60% of their unemployed people – theyouth. A burgeoning 72% of their youth live on barely US$2 or P90 a day even as their

agriculture sector offers vast job opportunities for them.The Food and Agriculture Organization

saw the need for investment planning to ―adequately reflect youth employment issues and

consider explicit youth employment promotion programs‖ including adoption of postharvest

value addition and innovation on labor-saving technologies.

Official Philippine statistics reported in 2012 more than 34% of the population aged 15 andabove were thriving on agriculture. The youth comprises 45% of the country’s workforce in

2013. Of the nearly 20 million youth, 16% are still unemployed.The irony of youthunemployment is magnified by the fact that most of them live in agricultural countries. However,

farming is always associated with poverty and ancientness. Instead of staying in rural agriculturalcommunities, the young people tend to migrate to cities.

The education sector is not spared. In UP Los Baños alone, enrolment in agriculture-relatedcourses has sharply declined to 4.7% compared with 51% in the 1980s. Most schools that offer

agriculture courses suffer from the same malady.With the farmers who produce food all over theworld aging every second, this situation seriously rings an alarm.

Push and pull

The Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) believes that the youth in the region find farming as the

sure way to get their hands rough and dirty.―For the youth, there is no pride and dignity in

farming. It is an unstable work, with low income and high risk. For the young people, rural life isalso boring,‖ the AFA report said.AFA also named access to land, capital, credit, and supportservices as the key element that convinces the youth to farm. Children are affected by the

hardships their farmer-parents go through to sustain a living.While youth migration to the citiesincreasingly threatens food production, some scholars are exploring ways to encourage and

maintain youth involvement in agriculture.


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In a study on youth outmigration, Jaime Manalo of PhilRice and Elske van de Fliert of the

University of Queensland in Australia identified the factors that trigger and sustain youth exodusfrom rural to urban areas. Their paper detailed how involvement in actual crop production,

personal perception on farming, parents’ dream job for their children, and education can help

shape the youth’s decision to move to the cities. Curiously, many of the youth are inclined to go back to the farm when they retire.

―While intentions to migrate were high, young individuals had a strong desire to remain

connected to their family’s farms. Hence, policy makers would do well to assist those who leave

the rural areas and return after some time,‖ Manalo said.Policies are set to attract the youth to

agriculture. Aside from RA 8044 known as the Youth in Nation-Building Act that serves as pillar

of support for the youth, the Philippine government has been devising incentives for smallholder

farmers, including the women and the youth.

The Agricultural Training Institute resorts to the 4-H Club as an informal teaching modality for

the youth in agriculture. PhilRice wages the Infomediary campaign that mobilizes high schoolstudents as information catalysts. The Departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, and Trade

and Industry also rear incentive schemes to further draw the youth to farm.

Multiplied potentials

Various organizations recognize the role of the youth in development advocacies.Youngsters are

prime information movers in the community and are the future hands of food production.―Equalattention should also be given to urban migrants who may not return to rural areas but are willingto invest in farming to employ their poor relatives. Migrants can often raise the resources needed

to finance the input-intensive rice f arming operations.‖ Manalo and de Fliert said.

Careers in agriculture abound from the farm itselfto research and development, education and

extension, and agricultural entrepreneurship.Agriculture professionals can attest to the many

options the field can offer. To encourage strongyouth participation in agriculture, AFA-Philippines

pushes for the Magna Carta of Young Farmers.The advocacy promotes and protects the rights of

young farmers, establishes sound programs for

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them, institutionalizes their representation in agricultural policy-making bodies, and defines

discrimination against them.Despite the complications in the higher level of decision-making oninterventions, Ana Sibayan would still want the youth to return to farming.

―My hands-on experience in the farm and exposure to youth activities open my eyes on the realissues concerning the youth. We need training, and be provided with basic resources to farm.There’s nothing wrong in getting dirty hands when you feed the world using the same hands,‖

Sibayan said.The current status of the youth in agriculture challenges us to build a new wave offarmers who are empowered, productive, resilient, and prosperous. How then can it be

addressed?Income, meaning, sense of pride – that’s how Ana Sibayan reflects on the matter.

Tagged as: mglayaoen, youth

Source with thanks: Phil Rice

PhilRice Agusan is best branch station again

MARY GRACE M. NIDOY

PhilRice Agusan received the top prize in the 2014 Best Station contest – an annual internal

competition organized by the Institute to elevate and improve the modalities in promoting new

technologies in rice production. It also aims to highlight the best-fit practices of the stations in

rice R&D.Agusan was also recognized for successfully and creatively executing the IntensifiedRice-Based Agri- bio Systems (IRBAS) program in support of PhilRice’s major advocacy, theRural Transformation Movement (RTM).

RTM aims to reduce help poverty by promoting diversified farming and agri-business ventures. Nucleus estates will be put up to give farmers access to support services including training,

inputs, custom services, technologies, product development and packaging, and marketing.―I thank the PhilRice management for organizing this contest and all my colleagues for keeping

our station beautiful and world-class,‖ said Abner T. Montecalvo, station manager.PhilRice

Midsayap and Batac placed 2nd and 3rd, and were cited for creating a strategic research directionand for continually improving their internal systems and processes in accordance with IntegratedManagement Systems standards.

PhilRice has three ISO certifications.The following awards were also given: Most Improved

Field Day to Los Baños; Most Interactive Field Day to Negros; and Most Innovative ExternalLinkage to Bicol.The judges traveled across the country to evaluate each station based on the

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following: IRBAS (Rural Transformation Campaign Execution); level of mechanization;

organization of field day; varietal demo; client satisfaction; innovations; internal processes andfinancial reports; housekeeping and safety; state of infrastructure; income generation; and station

management.

The judges were Dr. Rex Navarro, former director for communications of the International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); Dr. Genaro San Valentin and ThelmaPadolina, PhilRice consultants; Charlene Tan, founder of Good Food Community; and Donald

Mateo, from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization(PHilMech).PhilRice Agusan had earlier received the Best Field Day (2011) and Best Station

awards (2013).

Tagged as: best station, mgmnidoy, philrice agusan

Source with thanks:http://pinoyrkb.com/philricemagazine/volume-28-2015/new-wave-of-

farmers/philrice-agusan-is-best-branch-station-again/

Testing rice for processing tech

SHEREEN P. RAZON

PhilRice will test local rice varieties for a food processing application that produces low-proteinrice, a healthier alternative for people suffering from kidney disease and diabetes.

The tests will use propriety technology of

Biotech Japan Corporation, an exclusivemanufacturer of plant-origin lactic acid

bacteria, a naturally occurring element found ingrains, vegetables, fruits, and beans that can be

used to reduce protein content in milled rice

and cooked rice.In a meeting with officials

from the Niigata-based corporation, PhilRice

executive director Eufemio T. Rasco Jr saidthat the partnership is vital as production of

low-protein rice is limited only to Japanese rice for now.

The Philippine Renal Disease Registry reported in 2008 that more than 1.2 million Filipinossuffer from chronic kidney disease in which 41% of the cases resulted from diabetes.The

Japanese corporation, established in 1994, said that it is necessary to reduce ingestion of protein

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in kidney patients to lessen the burden on the kidneys.―By helping reduce the amount of protein

in rice and bread, which are common staple foods, kidney patients will be able to have betterqualities of life,‖ the company stated.

An experimental facility at PhilRice in Nueva Ecija was also proposed to pilot-test thetechnology through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).―This groundbreaking

facility will enable us to learn about the technology and conduct our own researches later on ifwe want to create similar products,‖ Rasco said.―An additional advantage of this partnership

would be our people`s exposure to Japanese work values in terms of quality control andassurance, plant operation, marketing strategies —the culture of continuing improvement,‖ he

added.A follow-up meeting is scheduled on February 2015 to secure the Memorandum of

Agreement among PhilRice, Biotech Japan Corporation, and JICA with a target kick-off in April.

Tagged as: sprazon, test

Source with thanks:http://pinoyrkb.com/philricemagazine/volume-28-2015/new-wave-of-farmers/testing-rice-for-processing-tech/

Program launching highlight ARMM Rice Farmers’ Field

Day in Maguindanao, Lanao Sur

February 23, 2015

COTABATO CITY, Feb. 23, (PIA) — Some 500 farmers, out-of-school youth and students fromthe provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur participated in the celebration of ARMM’s

Regional Rice Farmers’ Field Day held on Saturday under the auspices of the Depar tment ofAgriculture and Fisheries (DAF).DAF-ARMM Regional Secretary Makmod Mending, Jr., ledthe celebration held at barangay Tapayan, in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao the site of the 2-hectare demo farm for the new rice variety Green Super Rice (GSR).Mending said, while thegovernment intensifies its efforts to achieve increased agricultural productivity for the country’ssustainable food sufficiency, there is a serious concern over the noted decreasing number offarmers engage in agricultural production and the trend of preference among the younggeneration to reside and seek employment in urban centers.

―We are here to launch several programs to address a very alarming situation. Based on statistics,

the average age of a farmer is 52 years old so if the average life of a person is 60 to 65 years old,in 8 years time no more farmers will be tilling the lands here if our youth decides to seekemployment in cities. The implication is, in 8 to 10 years time there will be no food in our table

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if this trend continues,‖ Mending said.Consistent with the mandate geared towards the attainmentof increased agricultural productivity and food sufficiency, the agriculture department and theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI) launched collaborative programs – the Rice CropManager (RCM), Philippine Rice Information SysteM (PRISM), and the Next Generation (NextGen).With this year’s theme ―Pushing the adoption of new technologies for increased productivity and income‖ poses the challenge to create awareness on the advantages of suchmodern technologies to farmers seen to increase farm productivity and profitability through theuse of high yielding rice varieties, climate resilient and more adaptive to different types ofweather condition.

RCM program through modern IT gadgets and equipment provides appropriaterecommendations on rice/crop production management practices to address problem on seed

23 February,2015 Daily Global Rice E_Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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