27th may,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice e-Newsletter

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May 27,2015

Vol 5,Issue V

Indian Scientists Develop Zinc-Enriched Rice to Fight

Malnutrition PTI, Modified: May 25, 2015 17:30 IST

Researchers from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU), Raipur have developed zinc-

enriched rice that‟s expected to play a crucial role in fighting malnutrition in tribal-dominated

Chhattisgarh where nearly seven lakh children are still malnourished. The new paddy seed,

called 'Chhattisgarh Zinc Rice-1' is the first zinc bio-fortified rice variety in India.

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3

It was launched by the State Variety Release Committee in March and its production is likely to

begin from the next kharif season. "We focused on increasing our crop production since the

inception of the Green Revolution with the aim to eliminate hunger. In the process, we managed

to yield high production, but the quality of crop did not improve," said professor Chandel from

the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University.

In a survey done in the year 2000, the Centre, along with health organizations foun d that 60-70

per cent of population was suffering from malnutrition because of deficiency of micro-nutrients,

particularly iron, zinc and Vitamin A. Following this, the government decided to come out with a

research programme to improve the variety of three staple crops - rice, wheat and maize - in

different states. Under the programme, Chhattisgarh, considered as the rice bowl of the country,

decided to work on the quality aspect and took up 'Rice Bio Fortification Research Project'.In the

first phase of the project in 2003-2005, about 200 rice germplasm lines with high grain nutritive

values but low-yielding quality were identified, he said. Subsequently, in the next phase of 2006-

2011, seeds were multiplied and subjected to genetic improvement exercise, which led to seven

high-yielding zinc-enriched rice varieties. In 2013, the Centre decided to conduct a separate

exercise coordinated by Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), Hyderabad, to analyze the outcome

of the researches being conducted in different parts of the country.



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Finally, four varieties were adjudged best in terms of quality, of which the top two came from

Chhattisgarh. "Currently, we have 100 kg seeds of this new variety and we are planning to

multiply it in 10 acres. By December this year, we will distribute it to about 5,000 farmers across

the state. Its sowing would be started in the next kharif season," professor Chandel said.

http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/indian-scientists-develop-zinc-enriched-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-765876

Sustainable agriculture needed to tackle climate impacts in

ASEAN The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | World | Tue, May 26 2015, 12:38 PM

Riza Bernabe, has said ASEAN can help small-scale farmers and fisherfolk in Southeast Asian

countries to become resilient to climate change by reproducing sustainable agriculture practices

on a wider scale across the region.“ASEAN governments must also pour in more money in

helping small-scale farmers and fisherfolk adapt to climate change, and incentivize farmers to

practice sustainable and agro-ecological farming,” said Bernabe on the launch of Oxfam‟s new

report entitled “Harmless Harvest” on Tuesday.

The report found that in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam, rainfall has been

below average since 2009, resulting in droughts, which are associated with lower yields and

increased pest and disease infestation.In 2013, super typhoon Haiyan decimated swathes of

coconut farms in central Philippines, on which thousands of families depend for their

livelihood.Rising sea levels have also posed threats to coastal regions. In Indonesia, almost 15

percent of total rice output is affected by salinity, while in Vietnam, soil salination has affected

100,000 hectares in four provinces, the report says, citing findings of S.K. Redfern et al

presented at the FAO / OECD workshop in Rome, Italy, in 2012.Saltwater intrusion is also

threatening rice production in Myanmar, according to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) report.

“One such sustainable practice is SRI or Systems of Rice Intensification, a way of growing rice

that optimizes harvests and incomes without degrading the environment,” said Harmless

Harvest.A study by the International Rice Research Institute found that a 1 percent rise in

minimum temperature during growing season can result in 10 percent drop in rice yield.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/05/26/sustainable-agriculture-needed-tackle-climate-

impacts-asean.html#sthash.ZhSYeZK4.dpuf

http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/indian-scientists-develop-zinc-enriched-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-765876

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/05/26/sustainable-agriculture-needed-tackle-climate-impacts-asean.html#sthash.ZhSYeZK4.dpuf

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/05/26/sustainable-agriculture-needed-tackle-climate-impacts-asean.html#sthash.ZhSYeZK4.dpuf



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Golden Rice in India: Is it necessary? What are impediments

to adoption? Ryan Lenz | May 25, 2015 | Genetic Literacy Project

There is a saying in Chinese used to wish others

well that means, “may you never live in

interesting times.” In a complex world full of

conflict, disease, and death, the idea of living in

a simpler world without the plagues of the

present must seem comforting to most. Sadly,

this is not the world we live in, no matter how

much one may wish it into reality. For those

living in rural India, life can be a constant

struggle.According to data collected at the

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the

leading cause of life-altering disability in India

are health risks linked to poor diets. Nutritional

deficiencies are especially common in Indian children. This is both unacceptable and

preventable. For much of the population in India, rice is the primary dietary staple as it is cheap

and marginally nutritious. It is, however, without a sufficient level of β-carotene, a precursor to

vitamin A. Without a lack of variety in many Indian diets, deficiencies often occur. Large

consumptions of rice without supplemental nutritional diversity can ostensibly lead to vitamin A

deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency, or VAD, can cause respiratory, GI, and urinary infections, as well as

blindness and a significantly impaired immune system that can lead to a number of other

corresponding ailments. Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency are most severe in children. Recent

studies, such as those published by WHO, have pinpointed a number of causes for VAD ranging

from substandard education, poor sanitary practices, the absence of strict laws pertaining to food

production, and a lack of effective monitoring and surveillance systems. In many instances,

people continue to suffer due to the structural instability of the governments in developing

nations, as India. However, the root of this issue still remains with the lack of dietary variety.

Continual developments in plant genetics have yielded a strong candidate for a solution to these

incessant, yet preventable woes. Golden rice is a type of transgenic Asian rice created for

humanitarian purposes. Its creation has received praise by a preponderance of the scientific

community, as this species of rice contains sufficient levels of β-carotene within its edible

portion. Dispersing golden rice seeds to Indian farmers has the potential to curb the increasing

rate of VAD within a generation. Rice consumed in India would no longer be susceptible to the

same failure as Vitamin A supplements, which did not succeed for a number of reasons including

poor government oversight and the increasingly likely connections between vitamin A

supplementation and certain cancers.

http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/author/ryan-lenz/

http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/source/genetic-literacy-project/



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If golden rice, or vitamin-A fortified rice, were grown throughout India, there would be no need

to implement or administer an additional program as agricultural systems are already firmly in

place. Lifelong disability caused by the inability to diversify diets would begin to make progress

in the other direction, as vitamin A intake in this manner would not lead to the same potentially

detrimental conclusions as direct vitamin A supplementation.

India is home to over 1 billion people, second only in population to China with a dizzying

number of ethnic groups, each with their own traditions, languages, and dialects. The primary

languages spoken are Hindi and English and the vast majority of Indians tend to practice Hindu

or Buddhism, although there are a plethora of variants practiced. With more than 50 cities with

populations over a million, India is urbanizing and fast. However, the vast majority of citizens

are still located in rural areas, with little to no government assistance. Within its borders, India

contains the largest number of rural poor and those without homes in rural areas in the world.

The rural poor in India are, in some ways, dually marginalized by not only their low financial

status, but additionally by their low social rung in the caste system that, though not officially,

still dictates social life in India. Though there are certainly many impoverished citizens in urban

areas, the rural poor are often too far spread out for adequate government assistance and

observation. The continued existence of the caste system only seems to solidify their station.

According to information gathered by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, India‟s

leading causes of death in recent years have been respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases.

The continued struggle against the rise of diarrheal diseases throughout India, chiefly within

urban slums and rural villages, an increasing resistance to antibiotics has been noted. Similarly,

acute respiratory infections, or ARIs, are running rampant throughout the Indian landscape with

its effects most lethal in children under the age of 5. The Indian government, at its current state,

has a very limited ability to affect change through policy implementation, as these issues would

require increasingly complex methods of observation, reporting, and analyzing. Not only does

India lack the public funding for massive vaccination and antibiotic programs, but growing

economic losses may occur due to the increased strain on its health care system due to frequent

hospitalizations.

India spends approximately 1.5% of its GDP on public health, which is well below the global

average of 5% spending. This is an issue often addressed by critics and India is in the process of

drafting a new national health policy expected to be released later in 2015, aiming to more

adequately address the poor health of a rapidly industrializing nation. Lately, India has taken the

path of a number of 5-year plans that seem to be slowly handing the responsibility of public

health care over to private companies. This could be a troubling transformation as those suffering

most are nearly penniless, which could only make worse the health woes of the nation. Over 40%

of India‟s children are underweight due to malnutrition making health reform completely

necessary. Food struggle is not news for India, who has dealt with a number of deadly famines

throughout the decades.



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The last major famine in India occurred in 1943 and is known as the Bengal Famine. During this

disastrous period, over one and a half million Indians lost their lives. As India was under British

rule at this period, many blame their careless handling of public health systems with a preference

instead on civil defense. In her report at the tail end of the famine, Sydney Bailey remarks that

“food shortage is not unknown in India” but the total mismanagement of the food supply and the

subsequent relief efforts by the British were completely bungled. Though the fault was not

entirely on the British. Grain producers, during this year, knew that another food shortage was

likely and opted to raise the prices of their product with a flagrant disregard of the nationally

regulated limits of maximum prices and chose to profit while many, many others starved. Once

rations and other forms of relief began to surface across India, still efforts were hampered by

poor transportation methods and lackluster infrastructure.

Perhaps there is less being done about the rampant malnutrition because it is not necessarily as

easy to see when walking by. During a famine, one would expect to see bodies in the streets,

piling up every hour with a building hysteria. In the case of malnutrition, it is far less obvious but

just as deadly. Malnutrition can kill, and certainly does, but it takes time. India‟s malnutrition

rate is not only higher than its nearby competitor China, but also underperforms compared to

sub-Saharan African nations whose governments have far less ability to assist

As has been previously discussed, vitamin A deficiency most often affects the poorer populations

around the world, and India is no different. In fact, India has the highest prevalence of VAD in

all of South East Asia, the region where this problem is the most pressing. One third of the global

mortality rate is owed to malnutrition such as VAD throughout India and its neighboring

Bangladesh. The best sources of vitamin A exist in foods like dairy, eggs, and animal tissues.

Food like this is often the most expensive and therefore the hardest to obtain among the poorest

populations in developing countries and thus deficiencies are created.

The necessity of normalized vitamin A levels allows for the bodily maintenance of healthy

vision, tissue regeneration, and infection resistance. Malnutrition caused by VAD is long lasting

and exponentially lethal and this can create economic distress both from the public health

standpoint and by simply decreasing the number of healthy workers. Prolonged VAD leads to a

number of physiological issues including the breakdown of “tissue development, metabolism,

and resistance to infections,” as is noted in Akhtar et al.‟s recent study on the matter.

The most common symptom of VAD is night blindness, or xerophthalmia. Children and

expecting mothers, in rural areas especially, are increasingly affected with xerophthalmia.

Among rural expecting women in India, some 13.7% suffer from this symptom caused by VAD.

Accordingly, lower levels of vitamin A will also be present in the breast milk of these expecting

mothers allowing the cycle continued by passing it down to their offspring. Among children

afflicted with xerophthalmia across the globe, 85% of them reside in India. In recent years, the

Indian government has offered vitamin A supplementation to mostly urban centers but, of

course, the reach to rural areas was minimal at best. Vitamin A intake through supplementation

has also gained a growing number of critics.



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Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Cochrane Database and

the Annals of Internal Medicine have all found that the supplementation of vitamin A and β-

carotene could lead to a significant increase in the risk of lung cancer, intestinal cancer and heart

failure. It should be pointed out, however, that the volunteers in these studies were not

malnourished or significantly deficient in vitamin A, but the shadow of doubt remains.

Is Golden Rice viable?

The most effective solution with the lowest probability of failure is the implementation of

Golden Rice into the rice fields of rural India. This rice, enhanced with carotenoids, will vastly

improve those suffering from VAD throughout India. As rice is the staple food that provides the

majority of calories to these people, it is the best solution to curb the problem. Golden Rice is

also equipped with additional amounts of iron and zinc to further battle hunger in the developing

world. Indica rice cultivars, specifically IR64 and BR29, were used as a base in completing

modification of this enhanced rice, as it is the most common form grown and consumed globally,

India included.

Currently, the technology to create this type of enhanced rice through conventional plant

breeding does not exist as the desired genes for this scenario are not to be found in the known

rice gene pool. With this in mind, Golden Rice, created with a transgenic approach, is the most

ideal. In this method, genes are incorporated into the rice originating from other sources, which

is then expressed in new rice seeds. The expression of β-carotene in a number of different rice

cultivars had varying results, with some expressing more than others. For example, IR64 was

found to have less β-carotene expression than that of BR29. Differences in expression can have

any number of explanations including the unique backgrounds of the selected plant varieties, or

simply because of the specific section of an event of the rice‟s transgenic lines. In terms of plant

genetics, the desired additional trait is entirely dependent on the phenotype. Most phenotypes

such as height or yield are quantitative traits. This means that hundreds, perhaps even thousands

of genes, to a very small effect, control these phenotypes.

By contrast, simple traits, or pathways, are controlled by a relatively small number of genes to a

large effect. This means that, thankfully, it‟s essentially impossible to find a transgene that would

significantly affect crop yield, which is good news when considering Golden Rice

implementation in the developing world. The carotenoid pathway is quite simple, which further

speaks to the ease with which Golden Rice can be created. In most instances, it would be ideal to

use standard plant breeding methods, but in the case of desired phenotypes with simple pathways

like that of carotenoids, the transgenic method of Golden Rice is far more logical.

Golden Rice is currently in the process of being field evaluated in both Louisiana, in the United

States, as well as further tests in the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. According to results

collected by the International Rice Research Institute, data in the Philippines has, at this point,

been the most extensive, however data is often skewed due to vandalism by rebel groups with

frequent unrest occurring in the countryside. With the first round of field tests being completed

in the Philippines from 2012-2013, the results were hopeful, but there was still work to be done.

The desired level of β-carotene was attained during this run, though the crop yields were lower



9

than expected as they did not perform as well as rice grown by other nearby farmers, though

some of the blame falls on the vandalism caused by militants.

As of 2014, data suggests that specific cultivars have been selected for further field tests due to

superior performance in past testing. The cultivars, GR-R and GR-E, are now in the stages of

being rigorously tested for their abilities to resist pests and yield in numbers comparable or

superior to rice species grown currently in developing nations.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has had a vested interest in GM crops for some time

now. As of late, their focus has been in the cultivation of “climate-ready maize” for use in sub-

Saharan Africa. “Climate-ready” refers to the drought-resistance qualities of the maize being

studied and perfected by researchers for climates with very little annual rainfall. After rigorous

testing, with $33 million in funding assistance by the Gates Foundation, over 30 varieties of the

climate-ready maize has been distributed to millions of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan

Africa.

Similar to that of rice in Southeast Asia, maize is a staple food in sub-Saharan Africa as a means

for dietary and financial subsistence. After a number of droughts led to further starvation and

poverty in the region, the Gates Foundation saw an opportunity to help. Developed by the

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, this drought-tolerant corn also found

success through higher yields, which is a hugely beneficial factor for subsistence agriculture.

According to papers published by the Gates Foundation, these new corn varieties are “expected

to boost maize yields by as much as 30% for up to 40 million African farmers…by 2016”. These

are astounding numbers in such a short span of time. GM crops used for humanitarian purposes

have the potential to rapidly and effectively reduce hunger within the 21st century.

Vandana Shiva leads anti-Golden rice “progressive” coalition

However, the pathway to mass seed distribution is not as simple. It is no secret that the use of

genetically modified organisms is an extremely contentious issue globally. There is a widely held

perception that the risk of GMOs outweighs the benefits, which is especially present in mass

media. This stigma is growing in the West and has allowed for the rise of anti-GMO speakers. A

speaker and activist from India famous for her work against GMOs, is Vandana Shiva. Ms. Shiva

has time and again expressed her disdain for Golden Rice, asserting that a focus on only one type

of food is a fool‟s errand. Her proposed solution, however, is inherently unworkable. Ms. Shiva

has presented her idea to simply diversify the diets of those in the developing world, which of

course would be ideal but people of the poorest strata in the developing world can most certainly

not afford the fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy required on a daily basis.

Ms. Shiva‟s rhetoric is not only deceptive, but her self-described biography is dually murky. In

various speeches she has represented herself, at times, as a scientist, nuclear physicist, or a

quantum physicist, when in fact she holds a PhD in philosophy. None of these qualifications

have the slightest ounce to do with plant genetics. Her current buzzwords are “seed freedom” and

“food democracy”, clearly playing on people‟s ideals for liberty. The obvious implication is that

those who do not support her views do not support “freedom” or “democracy”.



10

Ms. Shiva has created an organization called Navdanya apparently dedicated to promote

“nonviolent farming”, referencing the 1984 violence in Punjab. The events in Punjab were

complex and not necessarily to do with agricultural practices. Much of the violence took place

between the police and armed militants. These militants formed in the rural region of Punjab for

a number of reasons, one of them being the economic effects of the Green Revolution in the

1960s and 1970s, among others. The Green Revolution was a response to continual food

shortages and famines in India, responding with technological advancements in agricultural

infrastructure as well as the development and implementation of high-yield crops, which

effectively staved off further food shortages and transformed India into a food-surplus nation for

a time. A downside to this so-called revolution was increased unemployment due to the

mechanization of agricultural practices. Ostensibly, those out of work should have been able to

find work elsewhere, as India was quickly industrializing, though it was more difficult for

residents of Punjab to accomplish this due to worry from the Indian government of the dangers

of setting up any important industrial sites in a state bordering Pakistan, the two of whom have

historically shared a contentious relationship.

Ms. Shiva‟s reference to the events of Punjab may share some roots in the agricultural revolution

of the 20th

century, but her fear of GMOs in India is without merit. Her organization, Navdanya,

also touts its accomplishment of setting up organic farms spread over lands in India in an attempt

to “fight globalization.” The hypocrisy of creating a global organization to fight other global

organizations is astounding. In a joint study carried out by researchers at McGill University and

the University of Minnesota, organic crops yield 25% less than conventional crops. In a nation

with significant suffering due to food shortages and malnutrition, organic farming is certainly not

the answer. With this in mind, it is pertinent for governments across the globe to become more

accepting of genetically modified crops in order to assist humanitarian causes that are so

desperately needed.

Ms. Shiva‟s views mirror those of many others in the Western world and this perception matters

when it comes down to the deliberation of government policy of GM crops. Genetically modified

crops are regulated on a nation-to-nation basis. In India, GM crops are very stringently assessed

on a case-to-case basis. In the case of Golden Rice, there is some concern that a low-level

presence of its traits could present themselves in rice grown and shipped to nations that receive

their rice through imports, as it is not grown natively. Places like Western Europe, for example,

import their rice. The understandable concern is that, as Europeans are not vitamin A deficient, if

they were to accidentally consume rice with low-level similarities to Golden Rice, it could be

detrimental to their health. For this reason, certain precautions must be agreed upon and enforced

in order to prevent this.

Luckily for India, most of the rice that it grows is consumed within a close proximity, largely

alleviating this global concern. Current regulations that must be followed by signatories of the

Cartagena Protocol, with regard to GM crops, lead to increased costs and delays. For example,

under the protocol, GM crops must first be grown in glass houses, then screen houses, then

finally open fields for further study before being allowed to grow openly in these nations. This



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may sound like a good idea, but keep in mind the years of field studies already taking place

across the world. These additional tests are redundant and unnecessary, especially when

malnutrition continues to kill more Indian women and children every year. As of 23 January

2001, India has been a participating party in the Cartagena Protocol. This unnecessary red tape

will only waste time for an issue so desperately in need of a solution.

Many dissenters of GM crops highlight the “corporate-ness” of the business. It is true that the

developers of Golden Rice, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, licensed the technology they created

to Syngenta for its use commercially. To some, this may seem inherently distressing as it could

potentially lead to unfair treatment to struggling farmers in developing areas for the profit of the

company. Fortunately, for Golden Rice, this is absolutely not the case. The professors licensed

their technology with the understanding that their seed traits would be distributed to small and

local farmers in developing nations for no cost at all. No person or company will benefit

financially from the adoption of Golden Rice to those nations who need it most.

The funding required for this project will not be for the physical adoption of Golden Rice in

India, but for the education of those in power. It is necessary that they see that the benefits do

indeed outweigh any risks. Though Golden Rice does not require funding for its global

distribution, it could certainly benefit from an education campaign to better inform the public of

its safety and benefits.

Responding with science

The global resistance against GMO use is immense. Consequently, there is a dire need for global

education on the topic as much of the dissent is based on fear mongering or misunderstandings of

the issue. There are certainly a small, but growing, number of advocacy groups aiming to create

a better-informed public yet their effect is nominal. People in various fields like Pamela Ronald

and Kevin Folta; professors of plant genetics at UC Davis and UF-Gainesville, Kavin Senapathy,

a freelance writer, and Mark Lynas, an environmental activist are all outspoken advocates for

GMOs who are dedicated to making a meaningful difference in public opinion.

There are also a small number of organizations such as the Genetic Literacy Project, Biofortified,

and AgBioWorld as well as Facebook groups like GMOLOL, SciBabes, and We Love GMOs

and Vaccines. They are all working hard to reaching a common goal but more must be done in

order to sway both the public and their governments. Though the issue certainly extends far

outside of India‟s borders, it is prudent to stay fast to the goal of implementing Golden Rice into

its impoverished communities. Therefore this is where the need for funding resides. With a series

of educational conferences and subsequent campaigns, the probability of Golden Rice seed

distribution increase will largely increase.

The first step is to hold a seminar with a panel of plant geneticists and other GM advocates to an

audience of invited government officials. The format will be brief presentations by panel

members followed by an open conversation between officials and the panel. Members of the

Council of the State, the House of the people, as well as India‟s executive branch will be



12

welcomed to this event with any additional seating open to the public depending on venue

selection. This will serve as a way to both educate and to quell concerns in an open and

respectful forum between the Indian government and those most knowledgeable in the science

behind genetically modified crops.

A contingency plan will also be put into play depending on the outcome of the seminar. If the

outcome is positive, it would be prudent for the Gates Foundation to partner with the Indian

government to implement a large-scale GM education program, much like South Africa‟s

partnership with loveLife for youth HIV prevention. Similarly, the Indian government would

ideally agree to share the budgetary cost with the Gates Foundation with a growing contribution

with a reevaluation of the program‟s effectiveness every 3 years. If the outcome is not positive,

then it would be beneficial to host the seminar annually as well as implement street teams in

urban areas with higher voter turnout in order to hand out pamphlets and speak to people in the

streets in an attempt to sway public opinion.

Golden Rice, with the implementation of the government education seminar and the following

public awareness campaign, will become available in the near future after years of rigorous

testing. It is in the interest of every malnourished man, woman, and child in the rural states of

India to adopt this trait characteristic and introduce this into their dietary practices. For the

mothers losing their sight, for the children losing their lives, this could save their world.

Ryan Lenz is a student at the University of Wisconsin pursuing a degree in International

Studies. This analysis was originally prepared for a Global Health seminar course.

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for Developing Countries, and Anthropological Perspectives.” Current Anthropology 43, no. 4

(August/October, 2002): 611-630, JSTOR, (accessed 11 March 2015).

World Health Organization. “Micronutrient Deficiencies: Vitamin A Deficiency.” (accessed 12

March 2015).

http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/05/25/golden-rice-in-india-is-it-necessary-what-are-

impediments-to-adoption/



14

Asian nations advised to stock up on rice as demand rises PUBLISHED ON MAY 26, 2015 6:03 AM

BANGKOK - Asian countries need to build up rice stocks as global supply may shrink due to

growing demand from major buyers such as China and India, which will eventually push up

prices, according to global research house The Rice Trader."China is still not on the pace to meet

(an annual purchase of) 4.5 million tonnes this year, but it will make it. The fact that it now has

only 2.2 million tonnes suggests that it will buy aggressively," said Mr Jeremy Zwinger,

president and CEO of the California-based research institute.China, now the world's biggest rice

buyer, imported four million tonnes of rice last year, up from 3.2 million tonnes in 2013,

according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The country's rice imports in 2014 set a new record for a fourth consecutive year. The dramatic

increase in rice demand from the world's most populous nation began in 2007, when imports

increased to more than seven times the average of the previous five years.The Rice Trader also

expects Indian rice stocks to jump to nearly 10 million tonnes this year. As of early this month,

India's rice stocks had plunged by 22 per cent to 22.23 million tonnes from the previous year,

according to statistics from the Food Corporation of India issued recently.Rice Trader data from

five rice-exporting countries - Thailand, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States - shows

that overseas shipments last year reached historically high levels at 34.67 million tonnes, up 12.4

per cent from 2013.

Mr Zwinger said that over the next several months, rice prices would stay at a low level on

abundant supplies from rice-producing countries, particularly Thailand.Within such a buyer's

market, he recommended Asian countries, including China, Indonesia and the Philippines, to buy

overseas, as the situation might change into a seller's market immediately, describing the current

situation as a "transition" moment."The price now is very acceptable, especially with the risk that

the oil price will go back (up), the risks of weather we keep seeing and the fact we had many

years of lower production," he said during the Thai Rice Convention recently.

The market is wary of the potential of a long drought caused by the El Nino weather

phenomenon which might pose a significant threat to rice production.Australia's weather bureau

has already declared the major event of El Nino, which is caused by a reversal of trade winds in

the Pacific, causing ocean temperatures to rise.Scientists have warned that the world is on track

for another year of record-setting heat, with temperatures having hit a new high in the first four

months of this year.

THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/asian-nations-advised-stock-rice-demand-rises-

20150526#sthash.xcoj24Lv.dpuf

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/asian-nations-advised-stock-rice-demand-rises-20150526#sthash.xcoj24Lv.dpuf

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/asian-nations-advised-stock-rice-demand-rises-20150526#sthash.xcoj24Lv.dpuf



15

APEDA News (India)

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 22-05-2015

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Garlic

1 Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2100

2 Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2000

3 Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 1800

Ginger

1 Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 4600

2 Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 5100

3 Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3000

Guar Gum Powder

1 Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 5740

2 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 3160

3 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 3160

Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 23-05-2015

Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Jowar(Sorgham)

1 Amreli (Gujarat) Other 1055 2875



16

2 Theni (Tamil Nadu) Other 1260 1360

3 Sangli (Maharashtra) Other 1700 3250

Maize

1 Amreli (Gujarat) Other 1255 1640

2 Athani (Karnataka) Local 1200 1310

3 Roorkee(Uttrakhand) Other 1340 1340

Mango

1 Harippad (Kerala) Other 4000 4200

2 Jaleswar(Orissa) Other 2000 2200

3 Mechua(West Bengal) Other 1000 1500

Carrot

1 Surat (Gujarat) Other 1500 1750

2 Chala (Kerala) Other 3700 3750

3 Solan(Himachal Pradesh) Other 1000 1800

Source:agra-net For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 23-05-2015

Product Market Center Price

1 Pune 316

2 Nagapur 286

3 Namakkal 325

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 22-05-2015

http://e2necc.com/



17

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Onions Dry Package: 40 lb cartons

1 Atlanta Georgia Yellow 19 20

2 Chicago Mexico Yellow 23 26

3 Dallas Peru Yellow 25 25

Cucumbers Package: cartons film wrapped

1 Atlanta Canada Long Seedless 8.50 9.50

2 Dallas California Long Seedless 12.50 13

3 Detroit Canada Long Seedless 9 10

Apples Package: cartons tray pack

1 Atlanta Virginia Red Delicious 16 16

2 Chicago Washington Red Delicious 12 14

3 Detroit Washington Red Delicious 19 20.50

Source:USDA

Rice procured at negotiated prices from millers’

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Telangana Civil Supplies Commissioner Rajat Kumar has maintained that the Civil Supplies

Corporation/Department has been procuring rice required for government schemes at negotiated

prices from millers, as has been the practice since 1983. In response to a news item “Free lunch

for millers” published in these columns on May 23, the Commissioner said „sanna biyyam‟ (fine

rice) required for welfare hostels and mid-day meal scheme was also purchased from millers in

the same manner. It was ensured that only varieties grown in Telangana were delivered and no

unintended benefit was given to them, Dr. Rajat Kumar added.Further, the Commissioner said

fine rice required for 2015-16 had already been procured

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/rice-procured-at-negotiated-prices-from-

millers/article7246257.ece



18

Indonesian minister fears govt sabotage in contaminated rice

scare Mon May 25, 2015 9:43am GMT

By Fergus Jensen

JAKARTA May 25 (Reuters) - Indonesia's home minister called for a police investigation into

the suspected contamination of rice with plastic, saying it may be an attempt at sabotaging the

government, media reported on Monday.President Joko Widodo has called for calm after reports

that tainted rice may have caused the hospitalization of a girl in Medan on Sunday and made

some customers at a food market in Bekasi sick last week.Rice is a common food staple in

Indonesia, the world's third biggest importer, and reports of contamination can quickly cause

food scares in the vast archipelago."The synthetic rice distributor ... may be making an attempt at

treason or trying to sabotage the government," Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo was quoted as

saying by the English-daily Jakarta Post.The scare began last week when customers complained

of nausea and dizziness after eating suspect rice from a vendor in Bekasi, a town neighbouring

the capital of Jakarta.

Initial tests indicated the rice was contaminated with plastic and plastic softeners.Widodo,

however, urged consumers to wait for official government test results before jumping to

conclusions."Don't everyone just talk and make the problem bigger," Widodo told reporters on

Sunday as quoted by online news site Detik.com. "What is most important is to look at the root

problem and check if it really was in Bekasi or just one vendor."Police were waiting for the

results of official tests before continuing their investigation, Assistant Police Commissioner

Siswo told Reuters.The Bekasi vendor, Dewi Septiani, told reporters that the rice she had sold in

porridge was "clearly very different and smelled different too. It's not like natural rice".

(Additional reporting by Cindy Silviana; Editing by Randy Fabi)

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N0YG24I20150525

Amira Nature Foods expands product distribution in US FBR Staff WriterPublished 25 May 2015

Packaged Indian specialty rice supplier Amira Nature Foods has expanded product distribution in the US

by adding a new retailer.Jewel-Osco, owned by New Albertsons, will sell five Amira brand SKUs at its

stores in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, starting in August this year.Amira's products to be available in Jewel-

Osco stores include Amira brand Natural Basmati Rice, Natural Brown Basmati Rice, Natural Thai

Jasmine Rice, Natural Thai Jasmine Brown Rice and Smoked Basmati Rice.Amira Nature Foods

chairman Karan A Chanana said: "Jewel-Osco is an established Midwest retailer with a strong market

presence in the third largest city in the United States."This is another huge win for the Amira brand, as we

work diligently to expand our distribution to new retailers and enhance our visibility across the United

States."Based in the UAE, Amira Nature Foods offers branded packaged Indian specialty rice and other

products in over 60 countries across the globe.The company primarily sells Basmati rice, which is a

premium long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent, under its flagship

Amira brand as well as under other third party brands.

http://www.food-business-review.com/archive/4294677517

27th may,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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