19th November, 2016 Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

November 19,2016
Vol 7 , Issue 11
Daily
Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
Global, Regional & Local

Rice E-Newsletter
www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
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Today Rice News Headlines...
Preserving a rare medicinal rice variety
11/18/16 Farm Bureau Market Report
Sustainable Agriculture Summit Serves Up Challenges and
Opportunities
Thai junta fines ex-PM for last rice subsidy, funds another
Govt to help rice farmers tap online channels
Thanksgiving an American feast
Multiple rice exporters at risk of closing down
Payment tardy for farmers as-paddy yet to be lifted
Comment: Thailand remembers the 'Rice King'
Soil bacteria helps protect rice plants from arsenic and fungus
Thailand to export at least 9 mln tonnes of rice in 2017 commerce ministry
No to rice politicisation
Yingluck starts drive to shore up rice prices
Chinese Astronauts are Growing Rice on the Tiangong Space
Station
News Detail...
Preserving a rare medicinal rice variety
Editorial Board
Chief Editor
Hamlik
Managing Editor
Abdul Sattar Shah

Rahmat Ullah
Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
Maryam Editor
Legal Advisor
Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid

Javed Islam Agha
Ch.Hamid Malhi
Dr.Akhtar Hussain
Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal

University DIK
K. A. SHAJI
It was only last week Palakkad-based marketing executive-turned
farmer P. Narayanan Unni was invited to present a paper on how he
conserved Keralas nearly extinct medicinal rice variety, Navara, in an
organic way at a global conference on best practices in agri-food
innovation.It was followed by his attendance at the first International
Agro-Biodiversity Congress held in New Delhi where delegates from
across the world listened to the efforts for many years in protecting and
promoting the red rice variety.
Chairman of Chittur-based Navara Foundation and the largest
cultivator of Navara rice in the State, Mr. Unni feels it would be vital for
any modern society to focus more on protecting and promoting
traditional rice varieties to face the challenges of growing food
insecurity.His 12-acre Navara Eco farm is located on the banks of the
Shokanashini river here.
Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Dr.Hidayat Ullah
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
Dr.Abdul Basir
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
Zahid Mehmood
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology

2
ART, Peshawar

The cultivation of this medicinal rice variety was almost extinct when I took it up as a mission.
Non-availability of pure seeds, low yield and high production cost were cited as reasons for the
lack of popularity of this rice variety among farmers. It was my determination to keep the farm
completely organic, said Mr. Unni, in an interaction with The Hindu . He has been running the
farm successfully for the last 20 years.
Unlike other rice varieties, which are white in colour, Navara is deep red and has been cultivated
in the Palakkad region for more than 2,000 years. But it was totally wiped out during the last four
decades when several new hybrid rice varieties were introduced.
In the initial years, I had to struggle hard to collect and segregate enough seeds. Sourcing pure
seeds was indeed a challenge.Many of my friends warned that it may be a sheer wastage of time
and energy, he recalled.In most parts of Palakkad, the rice variety was contaminated by hybrid
varieties. In addition to the low yield, about 200 kg from an acre made the cultivation
commercially unviable, he said. For pest control, he grew tulsi and marigold on the field bunds.
Since it is a medicinal rice variety for consumption we decided to adopt only organic methods.
We did not want chemical residues in the harvested grains, explained Mr. Unni.Taking
inspiration from Mr. Unni, many farmers in Chittur taluk are now cultivating Navara organically.
It was only two years ago the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority had
conferred the second annual Plant Genome Saviour community recognition award on him.
Because of his intervention, Navara has also received Geographical Indication (GI) status.
Navara is used traditionally to treat rheumatic patients. Navara rice is in high demand during the
Malayalam month of Karkidakam for Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatments.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/preserving-a-rare-medicinal-ricevariety/article9359625.ece
11/18/16 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice
High Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
3
Long Grain New Crop
Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High Low Last Change
Jan '17 966.0 948.0 963.5 +12.5
Mar '17 990.0 975.0 988.5 +11.5
May '17
1011.5 +10.0
Jul '17
1029.0 +9.0
Sep '17
1037.5 +8.0
Nov '17
1037.5 +8.0
Jan '18
1037.5 +8.0
Rice Comment
Rice futures ended the day higher, but were unable to recover all of the losses
posted early in the week. Weekly exports of 77,400 tons weren't enough to inspire
buying interest. January is building support at Tuesday's low of $9.30
Sustainable Agriculture Summit Serves Up Challenges and

Opportunities
By Peter Bachmann

ATLANTA, GA -- The annual Sustainable Agriculture Summit held here this week, in
combination with Field to Market's fall meetings brought together more than 500 attendees from
across the U.S. agricultural supply chain. Participants ranged from farmers, to input
manufacturers and suppliers, to processors and retailers. The livestock, row crop, and specialty
crop sectors were all represented among the Summit's various panels and breakout sessions
where talk of partnerships, success stories, innovations, and new research studies contributed to
the excitement that ran throughout the
conference.
USA Rice members and partners ADM, BASF, Bunge, California Rice Commission, Ducks
Unlimited, Dow AgroSciences, John Deere, Kellogg, Mars, PepsiCo, Riceland Foods, RiceTec,
Syngenta, Mosaic, and Unilever all participated in the two-day event.
Arkansas rice farmer and USA Rice Sustainability Committee Chair Jennifer James, who also
serves as USA Rice's Field to Market voting member, left the Summit feeling confident about
the rice industry's sustainability work. James said, "Based on the work the Sustainability
Committee has lined up for 2017, we could return to this Summit next year and bring rice into
the spotlight as a real power player in the ag industry. We're really ramping up our
representation in this arena and folks are starting to notice. Since this meeting last fall, rice has
tripled its representation and we're going to continue to grow as the Sustainability Committee
works through our Sustainability Plan."
James added, "One thing I've learned through our work with other agriculture commodities is
that we still have a ways to go as we focus on continuous improvement within the
industry. Results from our recent sustainability survey showed that most of us want to learn

more about sustainability because we realize that it's not going away anytime soon. The concept
of farmers being stewards of their land is no longer a fad, it's now an expectation when we take
our crop to market, and we have to embrace that."
The 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis next month will focus on the rice
industry's involvement and success in the evolving conservation and sustainability arena with a
series of panels, dialogues, and updates on the USA Rice Sustainability Plan
Thai junta fines ex-PM for last rice subsidy, funds another
Todd Pitman and Natnicha Chuwiruch
Associated Press
Bangkok | Fri, November 18, 2016 | 04:48 pm
Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (center) support farmers by selling their rice to her
supporters in Samut Prakan province during the rice price slump in Thailand, Nov. 11, 2016. (AP/Sakchai
Lalit)

Just weeks after Thailand's military government imposed an unprecedented US$1 billion fine
against an ousted prime minister for her handling of an ill-fated rice subsidy program that racked
up huge losses, the junta did something else extraordinary: It announced a major assistance plan
of its own.
The $1.5 billion effort, which helps struggling rice farmers in part by guaranteeing prices well
above market rates, is ironic given its similarities to the larger subsidy program for which the
junta has castigated ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra.
But the current government may have had little choice but to act. Global prices for the grain have
plummeted to their lowest in nearly a decade, severely weakening an industry crucial to
Thailand's economic well-being.
Some analysts say the about-face is also intended to stave off potential unrest during the
sensitive, year-long mourning period following the death last month of King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, and to win over some of the politically powerful farmers who make up 40 percent of
the population. The rice-growing north is a traditional stronghold of Yingluck and her allies.
The junta has begun to realize "they simply cannot ignore the plight of the farmers anymore,
especially [if] they wish to be in power for the long term," said Puangthong R. Pawakapan, an
associate professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former army chief who spearheaded the coup two years
ago, has vowed to restore civilian rule through elections in late 2017. There is speculation he
could stay on as premier, and in any case, the nation's new constitution guarantees the military a
strong hand in politics for years to come.
The putsch was the culmination of a decade of political turmoil that boiled over after the army
ousted Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in a 2006 coup. The
conflict, in broad terms, is part of a societal schism that pits the majority rural poor against an
urban-based elite establishment supported by the army and staunch royalists who see Yingluck's
family as a corrupt threat to the traditional structures of power.
In 2011, Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party won elections in part by promising to pay farmers nearly
double the price that rice then fetched on the world market, a move critics equated to votebuying.
The hope was that by stockpiling rice, the government could drive up world prices. But
producers such as Vietnam took up the slack, bumping Thailand from its spot as the world's
leading rice exporter. The government lost billions of dollars and about 8 million tons of the rice
it purchased sits unsold in warehouses.

Yingluck told The Associated Press that "in principle, there is no difference" between the junta's
effort and that of her government, an assessment some analysts agree with.
The junta's plan is similar to Yingluck's in that it is offering artificially high prices for rice,
dispersing large sums to farmers and encouraging them to keep the grain off market in hopes of
stimulating prices. But Jitti Mongkolnchaiarunya, dean of Thammasat University's School of
Development Studies, said the latest plan is less risky because its scope is smaller, its price
ceilings lower, and rice farmers not the government will be responsible for storage.
Yingluck's administration, for example, offered 15,000 to 20,000 baht ($421 to $561) per ton of
rice, compared to 10,500 to 13,000 ($294 to $365) offered by Prayuth's government.
None of that, though, guarantees the effort will be a success, Jitti said, because global supply and
demand cannot be controlled. Prayuth has said he wants to wean farmers off populist policies
and has warned government aid is "not limitless."
"The government must have ... the courage to deal with these issues," Jitti said, "because it's all
related to politics. Everything is politics."
Indeed, shortly after Prayuth's government announced its plans, Yingluck bought 10 tons of rice
from farmers and made a public show of helping to sell it at cost outside a Bangkok mall.
Last week, she did it again at another mall just southeast of Bangkok in Samut Prakan.
It was a brazen move for Yingluck, who could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if convicted of
criminal negligence charges related to her government's rice subsidy. But in a country where free
speech is suppressed and bans on large political gatherings have almost completely silenced the
opposition, helping farmers sell rice offered a rare means of speaking out.
"I think she intended to challenge the junta," Puangthong said.Prayuth and his supporters have
condemned such moves as publicity stunts, though Yingluck claims she was only doing it to help
farmers.One person who showed up to buy rice in Samut Prakan, Samruey Thappan, said she
was doing it not only "to help farmers, but to help Yingluck because she's a good person who is
being harassed."
Farmers say they need assistance, no matter who's offering it.
Political fights "have no relevance to us," said Weerachai Wongbut, a 59-year-old who traveled
to Bangkok from the northern province of Uttaradit to sell rice at a market stall this month. "We
just need help
http://www.thejakartapost.com/seasia/2016/11/18/thai-junta-fines-ex-pm-for-last-rice-subsidyfunds-another-.html

Govt to help rice farmers tap online channels
November 18, 2016 01:00
By THE NATION
THE COMMERCE Ministry will help farmers sell their rice directly to consumers in Thailand
and abroad via social media and other online as well as offline channels. This is part of a bid to
reduce dependence on middlemen as domestic paddy prices hit a 10-year low.
Banjongjitt Angsusingh, director-general of the Department of Business Development, said the
agency will work with the Thai retailers association to market milled rice using e-commerce
websites and social media such as Facebook and Instagram to tap Thai and foreign buyers.
Domestic paddy prices have dropped to the lowest level in about a decade, averaging at Bt5,000
to 6,000 per tonne, which is too low for farmers to make a profit. As for social media and online

channels, she said, the agency will use its own website, ThaiCommerceStore.com, as the main
platform featuring special banners advertising Thai milled rice and other rice and related
products.
Those farmers who have their own website can add their link to this platform so visitors from
across the world can reach the farmers sites. Farmers who do not have their own website, but
use social media such as Facebook and Instagram can have their own social media links on the
ThaiCommerceStore.com website.
As for farmers who have neither a website or a social media link, they can leave information on
their rice products as well as their contact numbers at the ThaiCommerceStore.com, so visitors
can reach the sellers directly if they are interested in the products.
In addition, she said, the department has initiated the setting up of a prototype of a retail outlet as
an offline sales and marketing channel for rice farmers. The farmers will be able to use this space
to sell packaged rice and other products directly.
Those who have the potential to tap the foreign market, another Commerce Ministry website
called Thaitrade.com will serve as a platform for social organisations and business associations
etc to help farmers sell their products online.
Former premier Yingluck Shina-watra has been using her social media fanpage to promote the
sale of rice as well as cooking events where rice and related products are used as key ingredients.
Her menus include popular dishes from the North and Northeast.
Meanwhile, police are on the hunt for Nopjorn Panni-yom, who has been accused by actress
Akumsiri Juk-Jun Suwansuk of allegedly luring many people, including the actresss fans, to
buy rice via Instagram. Akumsiri claims the suspect did not deliver the goods once the payment
10
was made
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30300239

Thanksgiving an American feast
Martha Beltran with her own recipe of pan de jamon, a Venezuelan holiday bread studded with
ham, olives and raisins. Picture courtesy of Leslye Davis/The New York Times
NEW YORK, Nov 18 The Times asked 15 families from across the country to tell us about
the dishes on their Thanksgiving tables that speak most eloquently about their heritage and
traditions, about who they are.
The
food that sustained our ancestors.
As it has for Native Americans, Thanksgiving has always been a complicated holiday for
African-American families. In the era of slavery and Jim Crow, it was often celebrated on
another day because African-Americans had to serve other people their Thanksgiving meal.
Sometimes it was celebrated in January to mark the day in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln
signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the same year he made Thanksgiving an official national
holiday.
But always, it was used as a day to bring together communities and to eat.
11

Erika Council, a software engineer in Atlanta who is also a professional cook and a food writer,
grew up with a special reverence for Thanksgiving. Her parents were divorced. Some years she
ate the meal as interpreted by her paternal grandmother, Mildred Council, better known as Mama
Dip, who opened a popular restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and went on to write two
cookbooks.
But more often, she sat at the table with her mothers family, where her maternal grandmother,
Geraldine Gavin Dortch of Goldsboro, North Carolina, made sure everyone gave proper thanks
for the sacrifices of their enslaved ancestors and their elders who had battled for civil rights.
Without their struggle, the bountiful meal on the table would not exist.
We always had to get dressed up and read a little speech at Thanksgiving, said Council, 35.
My grandmother was very steadfast in making sure not just me, but all the kids knew what we
as African-Americans should be thankful for, because she knew they were not teaching that side
of the story in school.
To drive home the point, there would always be one or two simple dishes that reflected the kind
of food cooked in the kitchens of enslaved Africans. Neck bones was one of them, served
alongside more elegant Thanksgiving dishes as a reminder.
The dish, built from pork neck bones and elbow macaroni, is delicious in its simplicity. The
bones and onions are simmered in water well seasoned with red pepper flakes, ground black
pepper and salt until the mixture becomes fragrant and the gelatin from the bones has given body
to the broth. The macaroni goes in next, absorbing flavor as it cooks.
That water and neck bones could make this rich broth that would give them enough strength to
get through the day is kind of a miracle, Council said
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/thanksgiving-an-american-feast#sthash.JaxVhANb.dpuf
Multiple rice exporters at risk of closing down

VietNamNet Bridge A lot of struggling rice exporters could go out of business if a Government decree
on rice export conditions is upgraded into law.
Rice is uploaded onto a boat for export in this le photo. A lot of struggling rice exporters could go out of
business if a Government decree on rice export conditions is upgraded into a law.The rice export
conditions provided by Decree 109/2010/ND-CP dated November 4, 2010 are so strict that many
businesses cannot meet. They include at least one storehouse having a minimum capacity of 5,000 tons of
paddy and meeting Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development standards, and a rice mill with a
minimum capacity of 10 tons an hour.
12
The decree has effectively driven many local firms out of the rice export sector. Certain enterprises such
as Co May Trading & Services Co Ltd in Dong Thap Province and Vien Phu Production and Trading
Joint Stock Company in Ca Mau Province have come to Singapore to do rice export business.
This is in stark contrast with the situation in Cambodia and Laos where enterprises can easily export rice
to Vietnam and other countries thanks to great support from their governments.
Life would become harder for local rice exporters as the decree has been added to the draft amendments
to Appendix 4 of the Investment Law governing conditional business sectors.
Article 7 of the Investment Law states: Conditional business and investment fields are where business
and investment activities must meet certain conditions for reasons related to national defense, national
security, social safety, social ethics and community health.
13

One might wonder whether or not rice export activity has anything to do with national security, which
warrants the addition of rice to the list of conditional business sectors. In wartime, this might be true but
now Vietnam is one of the worlds leading rice exporters, so food security is not a concern under the
current circumstances.
According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), rice exportation and other
business activities should be taken out of the list of conditional sectors
http:/ Payment tardy for farmers as paddy yet to be
lifted/english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/167217/multiple-rice-exporters-at-risk-of-closing-down.html
Payment tardy for farmers as-paddy yet to be lifted
Farmers wait for their paddy to be procured at a grain market in Bathinda on Thursday. Tribune photo:
Pawan sharma
Tribune News Service
14

Bathinda, November 17
Farmers, who are waiting for the procurement of their paddy at grain markets, have been left in the lurch
as they have not received payment for their paddy due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1,000 notes. The
farmers are getting payment through arhtiyas or commission agents at a snails pace due to the same. The
payment for the procured paddy has also not reached the District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC)
department. Of the total Rs 1846.23 crores, an amount of Rs 1019.44 crore is yet to be disbursed by the
DFSC department. The department claims that as soon the payment will be released by the RBI, the same
would be further disbursed to the farmers. The delay in the lifting and payment of paddy had further led to
the delay in wheat sowing.
The procurement of paddy was promised within 48 hours of its arrival by the district administration, but
the farmers have been waiting for their paddy to be procured and lifted for the past many days. They will
get their payment only after the procurement of their paddy.
Jugraj Singh, a farmer of Chatthewala village, said, I have been sitting here in the grain market of
Bathinda for the past five days, but my paddy has not been procured yet. The officials concerned say the
procurement of paddy is getting delayed due to the high moisture content. But when paddy is lying in the
open for the whole night, the moisture content will automatically rise. We brought dry paddy in grain
markets, but now it is gaining moisture.
Kuldip Singh Brar, District Mandi Board Officer, said, The procurement process is going on at a good
pace and we have procured about 11.98 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, of which 11.75 lakh metric tonnes of
paddy has been lifted. Today about 5,686 metric tonnes arrived, of which we have procured 3,613 metric
tonnes of paddy. At some grain markets, especially at the Talwandi Sabo grain markets, the problem has
been witnessed but this is for a short term. The whole paddy will be procured very soon.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/cities/bathinda/payment-tardy-for-farmers-as-paddy-yet-to-belifted/324724.html
Comment: Thailand remembers the 'Rice King'

As Thailand mourns the loss of its longest reigning
monarch, delegates at this years World Rice
Conference honour and commend him for what he
contributed to the countrys rice industry. olding an
event within a month of King Bhumibols death,the world's
longest-serving head of state and reigning monarch in Thai
historywould inevitably set the tone for this years conference.
For those attendingfrom outside of Thailand, it could be
...
15

By Sandra Boga, Chiang Mai
Published: 18 November 2016 09:22 AM
If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up here

https://www.agra-net.com/agra/public-ledger/commodities/grains/rice/comment-thailandremembers-the-rice-king-533217.htm
Soil bacteria helps protect rice plants from arsenic and

fungus
'Cocktail of soil bacteria can protect rice plants from deadly forces
Date:November 18, 2016
Source:University of Delaware
Summary:
Researchers have found that
rice plants can withstand
attacks from arsenic in water
and soil and a fungal disease
called rice blast. They have
discovered that a combination
of beneficial soil microbes can
be applied to the infected
plants to boost their natural
defenses. Jonathon Cottone, a
UD junior majoring in animal
and plant sciences, is working
with rice plants, studying ways
to help them resist arsenic
while also increasing their
nutritional
value.Credit:
Wenbo Fan/ University of DelawareUniversity of Delaware student Jonathon Cottone knows the
tell-tale signs that rice plants are getting sick: the yellowing leaves, the faint football-shaped
lesions.Cottone, a junior from Wilmington, Delaware, is working with Harsh Bais, associate
professor of plant and soil sciences at UD, on research to help this globally important grain cope
with increasing stress.
16

Recently, the UD team found that when rice plants are subjected to multiple threats -- including
increasing concentrations of poisonous arsenic in water and soil, an urgent concern in Southeast
Asia, plus a fungal disease called rice blast -- the plants aren't necessarily goners.
Rather, the UD researchers have shown for the first time that a combination of beneficial soil
microbes can be applied to the infected plants to boost their natural defenses, combating both
problems.
The findings, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, provide new evidence about the potential
benefit of "biostacking" -- putting multiple microbes together to protect plants from stress. The
research also lends further support for a natural, chemical-free approach to protecting a crop that
over half the world's population depends on for food.
A 'health cocktail' for rice plants
"We wanted to see if we could use a combinatorial approach -- a 'cocktail' of organisms -- that
would help rice plants with two simultaneous stresses attacking them," Bais said, from his
laboratory at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.
In addition to Bais and Cottone, the team included Venkatachalam Lakshmanan, a former
postdoctoral researcher at UD who is now working at the Oklahoma-based Samuel Roberts
Noble Foundation.
Previously, the UD team identified two species of bacteria that come to the rescue of rice plants
when the plants are under attack. The two microbes naturally inhabit the rhizosphere, the soil
around the plant roots.
Pseudomonas chlororaphis EA105 can trigger a system-wide defense against the rice blast
fungus, which destroys enough rice to feed an estimated 60 million people each year.
EA105 inhibits formation of the fungus's attack machinery, the appressoria, which acts like a
battering ram, putting pressure on a plant leaf until it is punctured.
A second microbe, EA106, mobilizes an iron plaque, or shield, to begin accumulating on the
roots of rice plants when arsenic is present, effectively blocking uptake of the poison.
"What's happening in Southeast Asia from high levels of arsenic in water and soil has been
called the largest mass poisoning in history," Bais said. "The EA106 microbe has multiple
benefits. The iron shield it deploys blocks the arsenic. This iron, absorbed into the rice grain,
could help address another big health problem in many developing countries -- iron deficiency."
In their laboratory studies with hydroponically grown rice plants, the UD team treated plants
with arsenic, then treated them with EA105 and EA106. Seven days later, they infected the same
plants with blast disease. Along the way, they examined the overall genetic responses when
arsenic, beneficial bacteria, and fungal disease were incorporated. The resulting data clearly
showed that the microbial cocktail could bolster plant defenses against both arsenic and rice blast
disease.
17

But there were some surprises. For example, the researchers thought if arsenic was taken up by
rice plants, that poison might be detrimental to the blast fungus. But that was not the case.The
ability of the blast fungus to tolerate arsenic is a direct story of evolution, according to Bais.The
fungus has become more and more resistant to arsenic over time.
"To prevent arsenic toxicity, we think the fungus put the arsenic in 'a safehouse' -- storing it in its
vacuole -- before the toxin gets loaded to the grain," explained Bais.
Protecting a staple crop
So how could beneficial microbes such as EA105 and EA106 be applied to protect rice plants? A
seed treatment, or microbial coating, would be the most practical route in formulating an
economical, effective product, Bais said.
Next semester, Bais will travel home to India while on sabbatical leave to give talks at
universities, collaborate on research and meet with people who do work in the field.
"A real opportunity for India's next generation of sustainable agriculture will be this area of plant
probiotics, using microbes that naturally occur in the soil to help plants," Bais said.Meanwhile,
Cottone, who recently was named a DENIN Environmental Scholar at UD, will continue his
research in the Bais lab, skyping with Bais while he is away.
Ironically, Cottone didn't know a lot about plants until he took Bais's introductory botany course
last year. Then a whole new world opened up to him, and he's now decided to pursue a double
major in plant science and animal science.
"This work has a huge humanitarian bent in that the majority of countries affected by arsenic
poisoning are developing countries," Cottone said. "So this work could really help a lot of people
who really are not in a position to help themselves."
"Jonathon is doing a fantastic job," Bais said. "He puts in long hours. He's mastered how to grow
rice and manages the entire greenhouse now. He's already co-authored a scientific paper as an
undergrad."
And he's got lots of room to flex his research muscles. The complex relationships between plants
and the microorganisms living with them, their "microbiome," provide countless avenues to
explore in the quest to improve plant health.
"Plants are exposed to multiple stresses these days, many driven by changing climate. Plants are
just confused. They don't know what to do," Bais said. "We're trying to help them cope."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161118130421.htm
Thailand to export at least 9 mln tonnes of rice in 2017 commerce ministry

17.11.2016
18
Thailand expects to export at least 9 million tonnes of rice in 2017, the commerce ministry said
on Thursday."For 2017, we expect initially that our rice exports will be no less than 9 million
tonnes," Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department at the
Commerce Ministry, told Reuters, adding that the figure was not yet an official target.Duangporn
said Thailand would achieve its 2016 rice export target of 9.5 million tonnes
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/thailand-to-export-at-least-9-mln-tonnes-of-rice-in2017-commerce-ministry
No to rice politicisation
19 Nov 2016 NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS
The political bickering over how to help farmers suffering from low rice prices does not serve any
purpose except exacerbating their hardship.Without a sincere halt to politicising rice prices, it is the rice
farmers -- the very people everyone agrees deserve assistance -- who are destined to suffer the most.The
words from Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha may sound harsh, that eventually Thailand will have
to reduce its rice-growing areas while increasing productivity and efficiency to stay profitable, but they
are true.
The reality is that rice is a commodity traded in the world market. As other rice-growing countries,
namely Vietnam and Cambodia, manage to increase their yields per rai each year and sell rice at markedly
lower prices, Thai farmers will have no choice but to stay competitive.
There seems to be no shortage of what people think the country's rice farming sector should be like in the
next five to 20 years and what will it take for us to get there. Academic think-tanks and rice researchers
agree the future lies in improving the quality of Thai rice while using technology and innovation to
increase productivity.
State subsidies may be necessary in the short and medium term as rice farmers try to make the necessary
transition but the consensus is there that the help is not sustainable. In the long run, rice farmers must be
able to stand on their own feet and earn a profit from their grain by themselves.
Unfortunately, the long-term goals and efforts that should be expended to realise them as quickly and
painlessly for all involved as possible are lost in the ongoing political squabbling.It is sad to see political
conflicts that have dogged the country for decades prevailing over rice policies and development as well.
Even now that all sides should have joined hands to help rice farmers suffering from low grain prices,
jostling for political gain remains the name of the game.Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's
initiative to buy rice directly from farmers and resell it to urban consumers at cost is not a bad idea. It is
19

based on the same principle as other attempts to help farmers by providing them free space to sell their
produce or creating online channels to link them directly to consumers while circumventing middlemen
who may try to unfairly suppress prices.
It must be remembered that for rice farmers any help in releasing their stocks now would be better than a
long-term dream. It is thus very sad that instead of inspiring others to help farmers go through short-term
hardship, the former premier and her party seem to be more bent on using the attempt as a publicity
stunt.Her latest campaign, organising an event at her home to promote a variety of rice dishes supposedly
to boost domestic consumption and by extension push up rice prices, appears too ineffectual to be taken
seriously. The truth remains that it is Ms Yingluck's government that launched the massive rice subsidy
scheme that not only caused huge financial losses but set unrealistic expectations among rice farmers that
the government could bail them out whenever they run into financial constraints.
The current government can use input from rice farmers and researchers as well about its plan to
introduce crop substitutes in areas deemed inappropriate for rice farming. Maize, the government's
preferred choice for farmers in 35 central provinces instead of rice, is widely viewed as impracticable
because the crop would not grow well in areas that used to be paddy fields.It is clear that solving the
immediate problems for rice farmers and ensuring that there is a profitable and sustainable future ahead of
them require all sides to cooperate. The politicisation must stop first.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1139101/no-to-rice-politicisation
Yingluck starts drive to shore up rice prices

18 Nov 2016
EWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS | WRITER: AEKARACH SATTABURUTH
Ms Yingluck shows off a 'cake' dessert made from rice during Thursday's event at her home. (AFP
photo)
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has launched a new campaign to promote the consumption of
a variety of rice products as a way to drive up paddy prices.This follows her direct rice sales which have
drawn criticism after claims she is undercutting rice prices.
Ms Yingluck launched the latest campaign, entitled "Help farmers, create Thai value-added rice and boost
rice consumption", at her Bung Kum home Thursday.More than 50 dishes made from rice products were
displayed at the event, including kanom jeen nam ya, kao tang, khao kriap pak maw, rice pizza and
pudding.The campaign seeks to promote a wide range of rice dishes which could help reduce the
domestic rice supply and push up prices.
20
Several Pheu Thai politicians joined in the event,

including
acting
party
secretary-general
Phumtham Wechayachai as well as former deputy
premiers Kittiratt Na-Ranong and Niwatthamrong
Bunsongphaisan.Ms Yingluck early this month
went to the northeastern provinces where she
bought 10 tonnes of rice from farmers suffering
from falling prices. She later resold the grain at a
shopping mall in Bangkok at 20 baht a kilo, the
same price at which she purchased it from the
growers.Former Democrat Party MP Warong
Dejkitwikrom immediately heaped criticism
against Ms Yingluck and questioned her ability to
have so much rice -- about 10 tonnes -- milled and
packed in so little time before the grain went on
sale in Bangkok.He added the sale also distorted
the market price of the rice which is more than 20
baht/kg.He said a former Democrat MP also
helped purchase 12 tonnes of fragrant rice from farmers for resale and it took more than half a month to
mill the entire stock before it was delivered to Bangkok.Ms Yingluck said people should be glad that so
many are trying to help farmers.Meanwhile, the government has been urged to focus on developing rice
quality as part of sustainable measures to shore up prices. Speaking at a seminar in Bangkok on the issue
of rice Thursday, National Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine director Kwanchai Wisithanon said twothirds of domestically grown rice is of poor quality and it cannot be exported at high prices.He said
several governments have placed emphasis on rice price intervention, a measure he said cannot address
the problem in the long run. The solution lies with producing more quality rice, such as the hom mali, or
fragrant (jasmine) variety, which fetches higher prices.
Yoon Kaewhom, a Surin farmer, said rice growers lack the knowledge needed to help themselves amid
falling prices.Many farmers are dependent on the government's loan scheme and spend money from rice
sales to pay off loans they took to grow the rice. They then have to borrow again for the next crop, and the
cycle continues.Thanittha Janthanaruek, a member of a Thai rice consumer network, called on the
government to help develop rice quality, which should help boost customer confidence in the product.She
said law enforcement must be stringent in curbing the use of chemicals in rice cultivation.Farmers should
come together and form a network or cooperative. Help is needed so the farmers can adjust themselves to
the market and reduce production costs, she added.Meanwhile, rice farmers in Chai Nat are working fast
to harvest paddy to sell to millers after rice prices improved over the past week.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1137937/yingluck-starts-drive-to-shore-up-rice-prices
21
Chinese Astronauts are Growing Rice on the Tiangong

Space Station
By Jamie Ayque
Nov 18, 2016 06:51 AM EST
Chinese astronauts at the Tiangong-2 space station are growing rice and edible weed in microgravity. The experiments
could pave way for development of food sources for astronauts in the future.
(Photo : Jes Aznar/Getty Images)
The Chinese space station is now a mini garden of rice and edible weed.Astronauts at China's
Tiangong-2 space station are growing rice and thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) - a kind of
22

edible weed - in microgravity. According to Chinese new sources, the rice plants have grown 10
centimeters tall and the cress plants have already flowered.
The purpose of the experiment is to find out whether plants in space still grow according to an
Earth-based cycle and yield the same seeds."We want to study the growth rhythm and the
flowering of plants in micro-gravity conditions," Zheng Huiqiong, chief scientist for plant
research on Tiangong-2 and a researcher at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology of the
Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told
Chinese media outfit Xinhua."So far the plants on Tiangong-2 have been growing well. Some
Arabidopsis thaliana are blooming, and the rice is about 10 centimeters tall," Zheng added.
Chinese taikonauts Jung Haipeng and Chen Dong launched aboard the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft
and successfully docked to the experimental space lab on Oct. 18. Both will complete a 30-day
mission - the longest Chinese mission in space. When the two astronauts return to Earth in
November, they will be bringing back samples of the thale cress grown in the lab, which is
expected to yield seeds in space.
The rice experiment will continue on Tiangong-2 for about half a year - the longest Chinese
space-based plant-growing experiment. According to Zhang Tao, a researcher at the CAS
Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, a special incubator was designed for Tiangong-2 so
scientists on Earth could "remotely control the lighting, temperature, humidity and volume of the
nutrient solution during the experiment."
An experiment involving six silkworms is also aboard the space station. According to a report
by New Scientist, the silkworm experiment - designed by middle school students in Hong Kong could be protein sources for long space journeys.While the Tiangong-2 experiment is the first to
use a remotely controlled incubator environment, it was not the first time food was grown in
microgravity. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had grown and eaten the
first on-orbit lettuce.
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/32264/20161118/chinese-astronauts-growing-ricetiangong-space-station.htm
23

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November 19,2016

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

Global, Regional & Local

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

Abdul Sattar Shah

Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid

Editorial Advisory Board

Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim

Assistant Professor, Gomal

Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK

Falak Naz Shah

Head Food Science & Technology

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11/18/16 Farm Bureau Market Report

Long Grain New Crop

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Sustainable Agriculture Summit Serves Up Challenges and

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Multiple rice exporters at risk of closing down

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Payment tardy for farmers as-paddy yet to be lifted

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Comment: Thailand remembers the 'Rice King'

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Soil bacteria helps protect rice plants from arsenic and

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Yingluck starts drive to shore up rice prices

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Several Pheu Thai politicians joined in the event,

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