23rd September, 2016 Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

September 23,2016
Vol 7 , Issue 9
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
Global, Regional & Local

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Today Rice News Headlines...
Greenpeace founder pushes hard for Golden Rice

A passion for pulses
What Do an Astronaut, a Kellogg Executive, and a U.S. Ambassador
Have in Common?
Feyi Fawehinmi: Governance by nastiness
UNLI RICE IMPORTS | Recto seeks probe into policy's effect on
farmers
Basmati exports on credit banned
Cash Influx a Band-Aid for Failing Rice Sector
Agriculture Minister Blames Businesspeople for Rice Crisis
Genetic mapping helps boost yield of rice hybrids
Proposal - The Rice Crisis: What needs to be done?
News Detail...
Greenpeace founder pushes hard for Golden
Rice
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
Patrick Moore frustrated by the anti-science rhetoric used to hinder development of

crops that offer human health benefits.
Assistant Professor, Gomal

University DIK
Sep 20, 2016 Willie Vogt
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Patrick Moore, an original founding member of Greenpeace, is in a public

fight with the group over it's anti-Golden Rice stance. Golden Rice would
provide enough beta carotene in a single serving to end Vitamin A deficiency
in children's diets, which he says kills 2 million children a year.
It's not news that Patrick Moore is frustrated with the folks at Greenpeace. While he
was an original founder of the group, and in speeches touts the work he did to help
save the whales, and protect baby seals, he parted ways when the organization
focused more on the "green" in its name rather than the "peace." And all of his focus
now is on Golden Rice
Dr.Hasina Gul
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
.During the Agricultural Bioscience International Conference being held in Fargo this week,
Moore took on the notion of anti-GMO activists; but his core cause is Golden Rice.
Farmers will remember Golden Rice. News of the idea of engineering rice so that it produced
beta carotene, which the human body turns to valuable Vitamin A was greeted with optimism
and excitement more than a decade ago. But like one of those documentaries that asks "whatever
happened to golden rice" the product sort of fell off the radar.
Not in rice-centric countries where the crop if cultivated could save as many as 2 million
children a year, Moore says. However, Greenpeace and other like groups have taking on the
Golden Rice fight as a standard bearer in their war on GMO crops and Moore is none too happy.
In fact, he's created a movement Allow Golden Rice Now - in opposition to the efforts to stop
the crop.
"They're linking Golden Rice with death, which scares parents into not wanting the technology
developed, and they're still doing this today," Moore says. It was those efforts, and the fact that
no one was actively campaigning in favor of the technology that led Moore to create the group
supporting development of the crop.
Background on plant breeding
From a technology standpoint, Moore talks about the fear-mongering against GMOs that goes
against the actual science of what's happening in the world and has happened for more than
10,000 years. He points to directed genetic modification, which farmers have been doing for
centuries. Then points to the mutation breeding that has been going on for the past 100 years.
"We've used chemicals and radiation to scramble the genetics of an organism, then we plant
them and see if anything interesting comes up," he says.

That shotgun approach led to the development of a range of crops including durum wheat,
developed from radiation mutation. "But that idea doesnt even register in this argument," Moore
says.
We've evolved the science of plant breeding to much more targeted approaches including
marker-assisted breeding and recombinant DNA, which Moore prefers to call horizontal gene
transfer. "Opponents to GMOs will tell you that horizontal gene transfer doesnt happen in
nature. It's been happening for billions of years with bacteria, which is the same way we do it,"
he says.
Genetic tools in plant breeding include bacteria that can transfer targeted DNA into host plants
and modify them with new traits. It's an effective tool for initial gene insertion, and has gotten
much more precise since the early days of genetic engineering. But Moore notes that the antiGMO groups have managed politically to compartmentalize this technology "as some special,
horrible thing that scientists and multinational corporations do," he says.
Golden Rice facts and frustrations
As for Golden Rice, which by the way has been refined to have such a high level of beta carotene
that just 40 grams of the rice in a child's diet daily that's about 1.4 ounces will provide
enough Vitamin A to end the deficiency. Moore notes that Greenpeace has turned its tactics from
the breeding to the idea that the crop doesn't work, which he says is also inaccurate, but
unchallenged.
This is a root cause for Moore who adds that 250 million preschool children in developing
countries are deficient in Vitamin A, which leads to more than 2 million deaths per year. He
charges that Greenpeace is specifically responsible for the deaths of 20 million children through
their decade-long anti-Golden Rice campaign.
"The only difference between Golden Rice and conventional rice is beta carotene. If this rice
would cure dengue, malaria [or some other disease] it would have been approved in six months
or a year," he says. "Medicine kills what's in you without killing you here we're giving children
an essential nutrient."
A range of charitable organizations is in favor of moving ahead with Golden Rice, but field trials
have been attacked by well-meaning urbanites motivated by the Greenpeace "death notices,"
which has frankly stifled future development of the crop.
Moore may be frustrated by all this, but he's also optimistic that eventually scientists will
develop GMO crops with a human benefit that can't be ignored. Soybean oil with Omega-3
content higher than fish oil was one idea and that product is in the development pipeline at
Monsanto.

He notes that the folks at Greenpeace call Golden Rice a "Trojan horse for GMOs" and that if it
is show helpful to people it will make people more supportive of the technology. "Didn't the
Trojans win that war?" he asks. "Me and the scientists are getting in the horse, come in there
with us."
http://farmindustrynews.com/biotech-traits/greenpeace-founder-pushes-hard-golden-rice?NL=FIN02&Issue=FIN-02_20160923_FIN02_960&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG02000000697990&utm_campaign=11713&utm
_medium=email&elq2=d8dc08d6a5144cc3b86719e2e86ebdbb
A passion for pulses

Sep 21, 2016 by Willie Vogt in Farm Industry News Blog
Around the world they call them pulses, here in the U.S. we call them beans. Either way Irvin
Widders is enthused about the potential for this nutrition-rich crop.
A benefit of this job is the ability to connect with a wide range of people on any number of
topics. This week I'm attending the global Agricultural Bioscience International Conference in
Fargo, N.D., where I'm catching up on a range of topics from Golden Rice to anti-GMO
sentiment. Earlier this week I had the chance to listen to a speaker who spoke passionately about
a topic we talk little about pulses.
Irvin Widders is professor and director of the Feed the Future Legume Innovation Lab at
Michigan State University, and he was on hand to discuss the International Year of the Pulse. For
Widders, the pulse or grain legume crop includes about 60 species of crops for personal
consumption. This list does not, however, include soybeans or peanuts, which while valuable
crops are considered oil legumes.
5
Irvin Widders, director, Feed the Future Legume Innovation Lab, has a passion for pulses. His enthusiasm
for the crop is driven by its potential for both human nutrition and the environment.

When you talk grain legumes or pulses we would call them beans. "In Canada and the rest of
the world, I can say pulse and people know what I mean," Widders explained to me before his
speech. "In the United States, we call them beans."
During his ABIC 2016 talk, Widders outlined five areas where he notes the value of grain
legumes.
Pulses are nutrient rich
This class of food also promotes digestive health.
The crop can fix nitrogen, which is important for sustainability.
There are options with pulses that can help deal with climate change.
They offer food and nutritional security around the world.
In essence, Widders points to pulses as almost a miracle crop given what these plants offer both
the environment and the consumer. These products are high in protein, and as incomes increase
globally more protein is what consumers gravitate to.
"We're concerned about our diets and the quality of our diets including rising fat levels," he
points out. "Grain legumes are more than a protein-based food, they offer complex carbohydrates
that are slowly digested, they're high in fiber and have micronutrients that are essential for
human growth."
He adds that a growing body of research shows pulses can reduce the risks of several adult
chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. "Regular consumption of
grain legumes reduces cholesterol and other bio markers," he notes. "And they have a low
glycemic index." This is a key diet factor for those with type 2 diabetes since the legumes are not
digested rapidly, so their starches are slower to release sugar.
And there's growing evidence that grain legumes are good for your own personal microbiome a
more direct term is gut health and that consuming more beans can offer benefits there too.
Widders went on to list a number of key benefits. Environmentally, grain legumes fix about 21
million tons of nitrogen from the atmosphere, which is fixed in the plant and harvested and
consumed. But about 5 to 7 million tons of that N is returned to the soil.
Perhaps what got to me most in my conversation with Widders and hearing him talk was his
enthusiasm for the topic. He makes a strong case that this crop which is cultivated in every
corner of the world, and provides an efficient protein source for all income levels globally. He

notes, for example that the Lima bean, which comes from Peru, has gone a lot of places. In fact,
you can find wild types of lima beans from Maine to the tip of Chile in the Americas. "They
succeed in almost every micro-environment in the region," he notes.
It was Widders' enthusiasm and excitement for what many may think of as the lowly bean that
got my attention. The more he talked about the benefits of the crop the more I wondered why
they're not more widely researched and cultivated. I realize part of his job is to promote the
potential of grain legumes for the future. And he makes a great ambassador.
Next time you're picking a protein source for dinner, you might want to consider adding in some
beans. It's just a thought.
http://farmindustrynews.com/blog/passion-pulses?NL=FIN-02&Issue=FIN-02_20160923_FIN02_960&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_3_b&utm_rid=CPG02000000697990&utm_campaign=11713&utm
_medium=email&elq2=d8dc08d6a5144cc3b86719e2e86ebdbb
What Do an Astronaut, a Kellogg Executive, and a U.S.

Ambassador Have in Common?
By Michael Klein
ARLINGTON, VA -- All three will be speaking at the 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis,
Tennessee, December 7-9 and you won't want to miss any of them!
The keynote address on Thursday, December 8 will be given by Dr. Michael Massimino, Ph.D, a former
NASA Astronaut and current Columbia University professor who has the distinction of being the first
person to Tweet from space! Massimino had a distinguished career as an astronaut; he and his shuttle
crews traveled faster and higher than any other astronauts in the 21st century, and he performed the most
dangerous and complex repair job in history when he and his crew repaired the Hubble Space Telescope
in 2009. He is an author and serves as a science consultant for the popular TV sitcom, The Big Bang
Theory, where he sometimes plays himself.
Shelly Van Treeck, Global Chief Procurement Officer for the Kellogg Company, the world's leading
cereal company and second largest user of rice in the United States with sales last year of $13.5 billion,
will address conference attendees on her company's vision, sustainability, and the great partnership
between the rice industry and Kellogg.
Followers of the rice industry know that the U.S. has had a tough time in Iraq for the last several
years. USA Rice has led the way on this side of the Atlantic with help from Members of Congress and

the Obama Administration. On the other side of the Atlantic U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones has
been a tireless advocate for U.S. rice. Ambassador Jones will address the crowd at Outlook this year to
share his thoughts on the region - what came to pass in Iraq, and what lies ahead.
And that's just the first two hours!
Additional program details are available online, and will be announced here in the USA Rice Daily in the
coming weeks. So register now and book your stay at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel.
We'll let you know when you can hear crowd favorites Jim Weisemeyer and Nathan Childs; what is being
planned for the Conservation & Sustainability Outlook Session; and just what is a USA Rice Innovation
Stage? (Hint: it's in the middle of the 37,000+ square foot Exhibit Hall.)
Companies interested in Outlook sponsorships, exhibiting, or learning right now about the Innovation
Stage should contact Jeanette Davis at USA Rice at (703) 236-1447.
Feyi Fawehinmi: Governance by nastiness

September 22, 2016
A few days ago, it was the minister of state for agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri:
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that
Nigeria spends about $22bn a year on importation of food. Lokpobiri made this known on Saturday at a
town hall meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He said the development had led to the astronomical rise
in price of rice and other commodities, stressing that if Nigerians failed to produce some of the items
being imported, before December the price of rice would skyrocket to N40,000 a bag. He said there was
a projection that by 2050, Nigerias population would be 450 million, wondering what would happen then
if the people could not feed themselves now Lokpobiri said, For your information, we spend about
$22bn a year importing food into Nigeria. We know how many more dollars and that is why you see
the price of rice going up.
Price of rice was N12,000 some months ago, but it is now about N26,000 and if we dont start
producing, by December it could be N40,000.Then it was Audu Ogbeh, the agriculture minister himself:
He said that the consumption of rice in the country was rising and that a lot of people were not
aware that the rice had some degree of arsenic. The minister said that consuming rice in large quantity
on a regular basis was a bit of health risk, adding that substituting it with potato would be welcomed
development.
The volume of importation of virtually everything into this country is too much. The
demand for dollars in this country as at today is 2.5 billion a week; this is the quantum of dollars
Nigerians are asking for to import things. Since 1986, we began this habit of importing everything
and doing virtually nothing at home to sustain ourselves; now, we do not have the dollars and people are
very hungry. This day was coming anyway, no matter who was in power; we have the most ridiculous
method of devaluing our currency; every week, we auction the dollar and naira goes up. We sat and
were hoping that by devaluation, we are going to arrive at Eldorado; if we continue like this, it will be a
thousand naira to a dollar, he said.Lets think through the basics here.
Nigeria is going through a forex crisis, that much is clear. Anything imported, like rice, is
bound to get more expensive as a result. And indeed, the rice that was N9k in December 2015 is now
approaching N30k today. We can all agree that in a poor country such as Nigeria, there is absolutely no
way on earth people are eating the same amount of rice they were eating at N9k last year at almost N30k
today. The price of so many other things like fuel has gone up so there is real pressure on peoples
incomes. But theres more. Last year when CBN released its infamous list of 41 banned items, rice
was number one on the list. Surely, this could have achieved nothing other than to increase the price of
rice as it pushed rice importers to the black market for forex.
On top of all that, importation of rice into Nigeria is heavily tariffed. Bringing in brown rice, for
example, attracts up to 70% tariffs. Again, this only serves to raise the price of rice imported into Nigeria.
A 50kg bag of rice is 100 Yuan in China (N5,000). In Thailand, 1 metric tonne of parboiled rice is
currently $403. If we use an exchange rate of N400 to $1, this works out at around N8,000 per 50kg bag.
Even if you fly it by business class to Nigeria, the price should not be the current N26,000 or more that it
is. We also know that Nigerian Customs have been cracking down on rice smugglers who try to bring
rice into the country through Benin Republic. A few weeks ago, they boasted that they had 25,000 bags of
rice they had seized in their warehouses.
***
We can be generous and say that half of the cause of rice prices skyrocketing was caused by the
devaluation of the naira and the other half by government policies. The reason for this, allegedly, is that
Nigeria should be growing its own rice and save forex in the process. Fine, you can say thats a
reasonable goal for any country, at least on paper.
But at this point, there is only one thing the government can dohelp Nigerians by finding any
means it can to bring down the cost of rice to ease some suffering. Clearly, local rice production cant
meet up to demand and is nowhere near competitive in price yet.

As I said earlier, you dont need a PhD in economics to know that Nigerians must surely have
reduced consumption of an item that has nearly trebled in price in less than a year. You complain that
Nigerians consume too much imported rice? Fine, you have managed to raise the price to the point where
the thing is now unaffordable for millions of poor people. Well done, you have won.
But the goal of this was not to make rice too expensive to eat. It was to switch from imported to
local rice. Where is the local rice? Ok, its on the way. Maybe when it finally arrives, prices will reduce
so that people can eat.
How then did we get to this point where a week cannot go by without the agric ministers talking
down to Nigerians and blaming them for their own hunger? Youve already used different policies to
make the item more expensive than it should be. You have not delivered on your side of the bargain by
making local rice cheaper or more available. So whats the story here? Except the argument is that eating
rice at all is now a crime, whats up with blaming the victim?
***
The government is not powerless to ease the pain caused by high prices of a popular staple. It has
chosen not to do so. In fact, the same Audu Ogbeh was recently telling Nigerians that the hunger will last
longer than expected.A recession is never a pleasant thing. In a country like Nigeria, it is painful. Just by
standing still, peoples standard of living is being cut in half. Is this really the right time to increase the
amount of nastiness in the polity?
From Change Begins With You to constantly blaming Nigerians for their taste for foreign
goods and importing too muchis it really necessary to conduct governance by nastiness in this way?
I hope the APC government knows that it will face Nigerians again for another mandate in 2019?
Yes, there are other ways you can win elections in Nigeria other than through votes. But still, it wont be
easy to switch from blaming Nigerians to asking them for votes when that time comes.
If suffering for greater glory is part of APCs plan for Nigerians, thats fine. But theres really no
need to rub it in
http://ynaija.com/feyi-fawehinmi-nasty/
UNLI RICE IMPORTS | Recto seeks probe into policy's

effect on farmers
By: Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon
September 23, 2016 2:31 PM
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Harvesting palay in the rice field. InterAksyon file photograph.
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA - Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto on Friday filed a resolution seeking to
investigate the impact of the liberation of rice importation that could affect ordinary farmers.
In Senate Resolution No. 146, Recto said "the ramifications of the rice trade liberalization"
should be studied to ensure that "purported benefits are realized and the welfare of our farmers
and agricultural workers are protected."
The head of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and other economic
managers have been calling for the lifting of the quantitative import restrictions on rice, saying
that it would bring rice prices down and improve farmers' incomes by prompting them to shift to
the cultivation of more profitable crops.
Agriculture officials, however, have initially expressed reservations on the plan, especially if
11

such a policy is to be implemented without providing safety nets that will handhold the farm
sector during the transition period.
Recto said that liberalization "without ample and appropriate financial and technical support
from the government" would not improve the lot and competitiveness of Filipino farmers.
He said "the sheer number of farmers and people involved and dependent on domestic rice
production calls for a plan that will cushion the disruptive effects of such major policy shift."
"If we have seen how many towns have economically collapsed because of the closure of the
only factory in those places, then we should consider that many towns in the country are
basically rice factories," he said.
Because no public hearings on the proposal have been called, Recto said the Senate should
provide the venue where its far-reaching repercussions can be discussed with all stakeholders
present.
Rice, Recto disclosed, is grown in one out of every three hectares of farmland, by at least 1.23
million farmers, whose average age is 58, who in turn employ millions of seasonal farmhands
and provide livelihood to those who bring the staple from the farm to the table.
Furthermore, he disclosed, palay production hit 18.15 million metric tons last year, and has been
growing at an average rate of 3.12 percent yearly since 1998. The value of the 2015 paddy output
was almost P311.1 billion.
Despite accounting for just 2.2 percent of the economy, rice eats up a large chunk of the poor's
household budget, with per capita consumption at 114 kilos a year.
"Rice plays a crucial role in Philippine society and accounts for a significant portion of the
Philippine economy, given its impact on rice consumers as well as those engaged in its
cultivation, production, processing, distribution and retail," Recto said in the resolution.
Recto said a balancing of interests is needed due to projections that, while the lifting of import
restriction will reduce rice prices by as much as 27 percent, it will erode the income of rice
farmers by 29 percent.
"We have to listen to the conflicting concerns of the rice-producing poor on the one hand and the
rice-consuming poor on the other," he said.
http://interaksyon.com/article/132711/unli-rice-imports--recto-seeks-probe-into-policys-effecton-farmers
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Basmati exports on credit banned
An Apeda official forecast India's basmati exports would rise 5 per cent by volume in 2016-17
Dilip K Jha | Mumbai September 22, 2016 Last Updated at 00:03 IST
Basmati exports are likely to be affected temporarily by a ban on their shipment on credit. The
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) under the
commerce ministry has restricted exporters from shipping basmati on credit, known as document
against acceptance in trade parlance.However, exports covered either by bank guarantee or
Export Credit Guarantee Corporation can be executed.
13

"Indian exporters used to export basmati in good faith after negotiating a final price. But importers have
sometimes refused to accept the consignments, leading to re-negotiated prices. Apart from that, payment
was sometimes inordinately delayed," said Gurnam Arora, joint managing director, Kohinoor Foods.
Apeda estimates India's basmati rice exports jumped 10 per cent to 1.55 million tonnes during April-July
from the same quarter a year ago. In value terms, however, exports fell to $1.21 billion (Rs 8,140.06
crore) from $1.32 billion (Rs 8,399.39 crore).
Earlier importers demanded shipment of basmati on credit, a facility they enjoyed with Pakistan, the other
major exporter of the aromatic rice. An Apeda official forecast India's basmati exports would rise 5 per
cent by volume in 2016-17. Apeda has ordered registration of exporters for shipment of basmati.
Cash Influx a Band-Aid for Failing Rice Sector

BY JANELLE RETKA AND KUCH NAREN | SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 |
As the government scrambles to buoy a rice sector suffering from crashing paddy prices and fierce
international competition, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday lauded the government officials and
generous businesspeople who heeded calls for emergency funds.
Falling from about $250 per ton in mid-August to $193 last week, the prices that millers were offering
farmers for paddy briefly plunged the sector into disarray. But a potential financial calamity has been
prevented, the premier announced on Thursday.
Farmers transplant rice next to a sugar cane field in July (John Vink)
With a $27 million grant approved by Mr. Hun Sen to subsidize millers, allowing them to stabilize the
price they pay for paddy, additional rice purchases this week by government officials and wealthy friends
helped the sector stay operational, he said.
Im truly thankful to the ministers, secretaries of state, civil servants and armed forces, as well as the
generous business people who have helped purchase paddy, Mr. Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony
in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
Some have bought 10 tons, 20 tons or five tons, he added. Now its not a matter of having no money
to buy paddy, but a matter of having a place to dry it.
Mr. Hun Sen made his point by turning to Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana, who admitted that he had
purchased 10 tons of paddy, but left it at the mill. The prime minister lamented the situation, saying the
ministers financial contribution was not enough.
We have only resolved the issue of money, but we have not yet settled the basic issue, he said. Every
rice buyer, please transport the rice to be dried at your residence and then have it milled in Phnom Penh.
14

This would give mills in the provinces more space to buy and process rice, he
added.
But even these efforts will not be enough to fix the festering and fundamental issues plaguing the rice
sector, according to agricultural experts and economists.
Annual financial interventionalthough particularly severe this yearhas been required to keep the
sector going for years, said Chan Sophal, director of the Center for Policy Studies for Cambodian
Development.
Rice mills lack the capital to pay farmers for their paddy, while farmers feel the constant threat of
mounting debt and land insecurity, Mr. Sophal said.
The government has done this in the past toosometimes $15 million, $18 million, he said of the
capital influx. Rice millers are usually short of cash.
Every year, the government has provided some credit, which is not much compared to the need of the
sector. The sector needs hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr. Sophal said. More needs to be done.
Due to the relatively high cost of fertilizer, transportation and electricity in Cambodiawell above that in
Vietnam and Thailandthe countrys standard varieties of rice have no chance of competing
15

internationally. Instead, the government should assist farmers in cultivating premium rice and ensure that
we have pure aromatic rice seeds, he said.
A farmer ploughs after the first heavy downpour from the rainy season flooded his rice field in May (John
Vink)
Additionally, farmers need quality fertilizer, planting materials and training to produce high-yield
harvests, all of which the government should be doing by deploying experts into the field, he said.
Cambodia has unrealized potential to rise above competitors due to its vast arable land, according to
Theng Savoeun, secretary-general of the Coalition of Cambodian Farmers Community. However,
farmers are using fertilizers and pesticides in an inappropriate way, for example below the recommended
rate, or overusing them, or at the wrong time, he said.
The result is high production costs, environment pollution and eventually it affects the sustainability of
the industry, Mr. Savoeun said. And although the majority of Cambodians rely on rice farming, the
country seriously lacks irrigation systems, research and development.
While the governments emergency financial intervention is appreciated by farmers facing imminent
bankruptcy, it also seems to be an attempt to gain or maintain political support, said Yaing Sang Koma,
program director for the Grassroots Democracy Party and former director of the agricultural NGO Cedac.
16

Were living in a democratic society with an upcoming election, so if the farmers are not happyIm
not sure if they are going to support the party or the government that is leading the country, he said.
With complaints from farmers quickly piling uphundreds in Battambang province blocked a highway
with their paddy on Sunday in protest of plummeting pricesthe government had to act, he said.
Agriculture is still the motor of our economy, so if a lot of farmers have problems or do not make
money, it will affect the whole sector, the whole of society, he said.
Hean Vanhan, deputy director of the Agriculture Ministrys general directorate of agriculture, admitted
that the government had fallen short in supporting the rice industry.
Fortunate farmers may choose to pump water into their fields in order to have more than one harvest per
year, but many must rely on the rain and keep operating costs to a minimum, Mr. Vanhan said.
The cost of electricity affects every part of the value chain, he said.
More effectively marketing Cambodias rice for the international market and developing irrigation
systems to address the needs of the majority of farmers who still rely on nature must be a priority, he
said.
And not only for the private sector, which Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon blamed this week for failing
to properly assess and cultivate domestic rice production and exports.
It is also the role of the government, Mr. Vanhan said.
(Additional reporting by Kang Sothear)
retka@cambodiadaily.com, naren@cambodiadaily.com
Agriculture Minister Blames Businesspeople for Rice Crisis

BY KANG SOTHEAR | SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 |
With the government scrambling to protect farmers from rapidly falling rice prices, Agriculture Minister
Veng Sakhon on Wednesday poured blame on the private sector for boosting competing countries at the
expense of Cambodia by importing products that could be sourced locally.
As rice farmers across the country have seen drastic dips in the value of their paddyfrom about $250
per ton in mid-August to $193 last weekthe government stepped in with $27 million in grants for rice
millers in order to temporarily stabilize the market.
17
Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon points to statistics on rice during a news conference in Phnom Penh on
Wednesday. (Siv Channa/The Cambodia Daily)
During a news conference at the Agriculture Ministrys headquarters in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, Mr.
Sakhon said Cambodias general failure to compete with its neighbors in rice sales was due to a lack of
innovation and research by local businesspeople.
Regarding the private sector, they are careless and not smart about competing in business, he said.
They are not smart enough to compete regionally.
Both Vietnam and Thailand have gradually lowered the price of their exported rice since 2012 in order to
compete internationally, Mr. Sakhon said.
Cambodian businesspeople should study the market prices and what our friends around us are doing
what they are able to do and what we are not able to do. Because it is very unfortunate that although we
have customers, we make a loss, he said.
In Cambodia, there are factories established that produce food for fishes and food for other animals,
which require rice grains for production, he added. But businesses overlook the possibility of using
domestic riceor corn, or branto create these foods, and millers do not advertise them properly.
18

Businesses in Vietnam, on the other hand, take advantage of local production, eliminating the cost of
importing materials and keeping costs competitive on the international market, Mr. Sakhon said.
The agriculture minister said the private sector should also step in to help farmers be more business
savvy, boosting everyones profits.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, flanked by ministers, bodyguards and government officials, steers a motorized
plow in a rice paddy in Kandal province in 2013. (Sok Chamroeun)
If we keep allowing farmers to select seeds without
technical knowledge and then we buy their products,
I think our businesses will lose, he said, adding that
better use of fertilizers and pesticides could also
propel their yields. If we dont have clear measures
like that, we could lose customers, he said. The
Royal Government needs to sit and think about the
loopholes that we can help Cambodias private
sector resolve.Lay Chhun Hour, CEO of City Rice
Mill in Battambang province, said basic utility costs
were already stretching the private sector, and that
the government needed to come up with a plan to
support long-term efforts to strengthen the countrys rice sector.How can we be smart if the cost of
electricityan important factor of productionis high? he asked, citing significantly lower costs in
neighboring countries.
The government should also provide high-yield paddy seeds, improve irrigation systems across the
country to allow for multiple harvests each year and raise taxes on rice imports, Mr. Chhun Hour said.
All of these measures would help us increase the competitiveness of the Cambodian rice sector.
sothear@cambodiadaily.com
Genetic mapping helps boost yield of rice hybrids

By Ben Kritz on September 23, 2016 Agribusiness
A major study of the genetic profile of more than 10,000 rice variants has revealed clues why hybrid rice
has higher performance in certain traits than its parent varieties, scientists from China reported.
The study was carried out under the direction of Professors Han Bin and Huang Xuehui of the Institute of
Plant Physiology and Ecology at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, and published in the
journal Nature.
19

The researchers were investigating the phenomenon of heterosis, which is the increase in characteristics
such as size, growth rate, fertility, and yield of a hybrid variety over those of its parents
http://www.manilatimes.net/genetic-mapping-helps-boost-yield-of-rice-hybrids/287377/
Proposal - The Rice Crisis: What needs to be done?

The Challenge
The recent surge in food prices is causing acute hardship and social unrest around the world. The
poor, who spend large shares of their income on food, are most adversely affected. Since rising
food ...
Robert Stewart Zeigler; 2008

Robert S. Zeigler, Director General, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
In early 2008, skyrocketing rice prices put the grain on the front pages of major newspapers
across the world. This background paper explains the reasons behind the rapid increase in rice
prices and what must be done to achieve reliable, plentiful supplies of affordable rice.
What happened?
The poorest of the worlds poor are the 1.1 billion people with income of
less than a dollar a day. Around 700 millionalmost two-thirdsof these
people live in rice-growing countries of Asia. Poor people spend up to half
of their income on rice alone and, in many cases, receive more than half of
all their calories from rice.The world price of Thai rice, 5% brokena
popular export gradein December 2007 was $362 per ton. By May 2008,
the price had tripled, breaking through the $1,000 mark. As the Asian harvest brought new rice
into the market in June, prices began to come down but, by July, remained around double the
December 2007 price.
In early 2008, in response to supply problems, major exporting countries such as Vietnam and
India imposed export bans or restrictions to protect their domestic consumers. By thus reducing
the supply of rice in the world market, these restrictions accelerated the price rise. Consequently,
importers rushed into the market to buy more rice to meet their consumption needs and build
their own stock. Hoarding and speculation by traders added fuel to the fire.
What are the underlying reasons?
We are consuming more than we are producing
20

Many factors, both long- and short-term, have contributed to the rice crisis. At a fundamental
level, the sustained rise in the price over the past 78 years indicates that we have been
consuming more than we have been producing. Rice stocks are being depleted, with current
stocks at their lowest since the 1970s.
Annual growth in yield is slowing
A major reason for the imbalance between the long-term demand and supply is the slowing
growth in yield, which has decreased substantially over the past 1015 years in most countries.
Globally, yields have risen by less than 1% per year in recent yearsslower than population
growth and down from well over 2% during the Green Revolution period of 197090 (also see
Running out of steam on page 41).
Reduced public investment in agricultural research, development, and infrastructure
The slowdown in yield growth has been exacerbated by reduced public investment in agricultural
research and developmentthe very engine that drove productivity growth to begin with.
Investments in irrigation, which peaked during the Green Revolution period, have decreased
substantially. Existing irrigation infrastructure has deteriorated considerably.
Little room for expansion of rice area
The possibility of increasing the rice area is almost exhausted in most Asian countries. In many
areas, highly productive rice land has been lost to housing and industrial development.
Demand growth
Three key factors have contributed to steady growth in demand for rice, which is increasing
globally by around 5 million tons each yearmore if rebuilding of stocks is taken into account.
First, population growth is outstripping production growth. Second, rapid economic growth in
large countries such as India and China has increased demand for cereals, both for consumption
and for livestock production. Third, rice is an increasingly popular food in Africa, with imports
into Africa accounting for almost one-third of the total world trade.
Oil prices
The price of oil has increased rapidly during the past year. This has pushed up freight costs for
countries that import rice. The world price of oil-dependent fertilizersessential for rice
productionhas increased sharply, with the price of urea exploding. The rapid growth of the
biofuel industry has also increased pressure on international trade of grains and livestock feed, as
well as on agricultural land in some countries.
Extreme weather
Natural disasters, such as flooding, drought, and typhoons, have contributed to recent production
shortfalls. Climate change is expected to increase the severity and frequency of such extreme
weather events. Global warming is also projected to hurt rice production.
21

Reoccurring pest outbreaks
Many pests that caused major problems for rice intensification programs in the 1970s and 1980s
have returned as major threats to production, primarily due to breakdowns in crop resistance and
the excessive use of broad-spectrum, long-residual insecticides that disrupt natural pest control
mechanisms.
How do price rises affect poor rice consumers?
Although more expensive rice may help farmers who produce more than they consume, a rise in
the price of rice is equivalent to a drop in real income for the majority of the poor who are net
consumers of rice. Higher prices increase the number of poor people and push people deeper into
poverty and hunger, forcing them to sacrifice essentials such as more nutritious food, health care,
and childrens educationthus condemning future generations to a vicious poverty cycle. Higher
food prices also affect the poor indirectly as international relief agencies are forced to reduce or
cut programs.
How do we prevent shortages and price rises?
Given the structural reasons that contributed to the price rise in 2008, rice prices are not expected
to fall to anywhere near their historic lows. And, without the buffer of high stock levels, there is
an increased risk of additional sharp price rises.
The best strategy for keeping the price of rice low is to ensure that production increases faster
than demand. Rice production can be increased by expanding the area planted to rice, by
increasing the yield per unit area, or by a combination of the two. With limited opportunity for
increasing Asias rice area, the main source of additional production will need to be yield
growth.
Productivity growth through the development and dissemination of improved technologies is the
only key long-term viable solution for bringing prices down, preventing future increases in price,
and ensuring that affordable rice is available to poor rice consumers.
To achieve this, a second Green Revolution is needed now as much as the first was needed to
avoid famine and mass starvation. Increased research investment together with policy reforms
that make rice markets more efficient will help bring rice prices down to a level affordable to the
poor and, ultimately, reduce poverty.
What needs to be done?
Recent advances in science and technology offer unprecedented opportunities to not only solve
current problems but also develop agricultural systems that can help millions of rural poor lift
themselves out of poverty. In the near term, urgent actions from national governments and
international agencies are needed on two fronts: rapidly exploiting existing technological
opportunities for increasing rice yields and policy reforms to improve poor peoples food
22

entitlements. Rice production can be revitalized, but there are no silver bullets. Investment by the
world community is essential.
IRRIs action plan
Some of the following actions deal with the immediate crisis while others provide long-term
solutions to prevent future crises.
1. Bring about an agronomic revolution in Asian rice production to reduce existing gaps
between achieved and potential yield.
Yield improvements of 12 tons per hectare can be achieved through the use of better crop
management practices, particularly in irrigated environments.
2. Accelerate the delivery of new postharvest technologies to reduce losses.
Postharvest includes the storing, drying, and processing of rice. New and existing
technologies can substantially reduce the considerable postharvest lossesin terms of both
quantity and qualitysuffered by most Asian farmers.
3. Accelerate the introduction and adoption of higher yielding rice varieties.
4. Strengthen and upgrade the rice breeding and research pipelines.
The steady decline in funding for the development of new rice varieties must be reversed in
order to develop the new varieties and crop and resource management systems required for
sustained productivity growth.
5. Accelerate research on the worlds thousands of rice varieties so scientists can tap the vast
reservoir of untapped knowledge they contain.
6. Develop a new generation of rice scientists and researchers for the public and private
sectors.
Asia urgently needs to train a new generation of rice scientists and researchersbefore the
present generation retiresif the regions rice industry is to successfully capitalize on
advances in modern science.
http://www.global-economic-symposium.org/knowledgebase/the-global-environment/preventing-foodprices-from-creating-poverty-and-malnutrition/proposals/the-rice-crisis-what-needs-to-be-done
23

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