Nigeria – Nigeria can stop rice importation by 2015 – AfDB official
Source: Vanguard14/02/2013 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has expressed optimism that Nigeria can stop the importation of rice by 2015, if the right things are done.
Thailand – Govt promoting rice sales at trade fairs in Germany, UAE
Source: The Nation14/02/2013 – As one of its strategies to release rice from the government stockpiles, the Commerce Ministry is participating in two giant international exhibitions this month to promote the sale of Thai rice overseas.
Low-arsenic rice discovered in Bangladesh could have major health benefits
Source: EurekAlert12/02/2013 – Scientists identified aromatic rice with very low arsenic content and higher concentrations of essential nutrients, selenium and zinc.
Antagonistic, overlapping and distinct responses to biotic stress in rice (Oryza sativa) and interactions with abiotic stress
Source: 7th Space12/02/2013 – Every year, substantial crop loss occurs globally, as a result of bacterial, fungal, parasite and viral infections in rice. Here, we present an in-depth investigation of the transcriptomic response to infection with the destructive bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv.
Philippines – PH hybrid rice captures big slice of Bangladesh market
Source: Business Inquirer11/02/2013 – A hybrid rice variety developed in the Philippines has captured 20 percent of Bangladesh’s hybrid rice market, thus helping the developing country in South Asia meet its goal to become self sufficient in rice, an exporting Filipino firm said Monday.
India – Rabi rice output may surge in Assam, Bengal
Source: The Economic Times11/02/2013 – West Bengal and Assam, the two major rice producing states, have kicked off rabi paddy sowing. Bengal is targeting a production of 40 lakh tonne rice during the rabi season while Assam is expected to produce 55 lakh tonne.
Thailand – Ministry rejects Democrat’s complaints over poor rice quality
Source: Bangkok Post11/02/2013 – The Commerce Ministry says the Democrat Party’s allegations over poor quality control of rice under the government’s rice pledging scheme are not true.
North Korea – Famine hit North Korea’s rice basket in 2012, report says
Source: Yahoo News07/02/2013 – A famine in a key North Korean grain-growing region in 2012 may have killed thousands of people at the same time as the country was staging mass celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the state’s founder, according to a news agency based in Japan.
Thai rice reserves seen at record as UN flags warehouse shortage
Source: Bloomberg07/02/2013 – Rice stockpiles in Thailand will surge to a record this year driven by a government-price support program, according to the Food & Agriculture Organization, which said the country may be running out of room to store the staple.
Thailand – Thai rice subsidey program short of money
Source: The New York Times07/02/2013 – Thailand’s generous rice subsidy program has run into funding problems, a new threat to a policy that wins millions of rural votes for the government but that has generated huge stockpiles, set off allegations of graft and unnerved markets.