Monthly Archives: May 2012

Africa – Africa: How to grow rice with less water

Source: All Africa28/05/2012 – Around 700 million of the world’s poor live in rice-growing areas in Asia. Rice is the staple food in Asia and 95 percent of the world’s rice is produced there. Mostly grown in soils submerged under water, irrigated lowland (or ‘paddy’) rice accounts for nearly 80 percent of the world’s rice production…

Philippines – Jan.-Sept. rice output may exceed 11 M tons

Source: PhilStar.com22/05/2012 – Rice production for January-September period could reach 11.25 million metric tons, up 4.7 percent on year, thanks to favorable weather, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) said today.

North Koreans in rice belt starve to death: report

Source: The Raw Story21/05/2012 – Food shortages have worsened even in North Korea’s southwestern rice belt and some residents have starved to death there, a Seoul-based online newspaper said Monday.

Ghana – New standards for local-rice production by the end of the year

Source: Ghana Web19/05/2012 – The Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body, GRIB is stepping up efforts to introduce new standards for the production of local-rice by the end of the year.

India – Rice shellers force farmers to return to PAU paddy varieties

Source: The Indian Express20/05/2012 – After trying paddy seed developed by universities outside Punjab, farmers are now back to using paddy varieties developed by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) in Ludhiana.

Australia – Canny grain growers let nature take its course

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald20/05/2012 – Farmers who decided to grow rice by relying solely on rainfall are beginning to reap the benefits of their foresight.

Sri Lanka – Adding rice farmers to the Rio+20 agenda

Source: IPS16/05/2012 – The year 2011 was one of extremes for the small Sri Lankan village of Verugal.

Nigeria – Jonathan now eats locally produced rice from Abakaliki – Maku

Source: Vanguard18/05/2012 – President Goodluck Jonathan now eats locally produced rice and bread made from cassava as part of efforts to encourage indigenous production and stop capital flight, says Minister of Information Labaran Maku.

Rice production grows, but not everywhere

Source: Voice of America14/05/2012 – The United Nations is expecting the world to harvest more rice in twenty twelve than was produced last year. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization says the world rice harvest should rise almost two percent, mainly because of increased production in Asia. Large gains are expected for Bangladesh, Burma, China,…

Guyana – Rice farmers protest non-payment of monies by Mahaicony Rice Mills

Source: Kaieteur News14/05/2012 – Rice farmers along the Essequibo Coast are calling on Government to intervene in the matter where the Mahaicony Rice Mills (MRL) is yet to pay outstanding sums owed to them.