Source: Gulf News 20/06/2015 – The Philippine government and non-government organisations have joined hands to preserve, nurture and market highland rice varieties from the northern Cordillera region for the health conscious, sources said, adding efforts include finding more varieties and reviving nearly extinct ones to make organic rice more affordable. Some 300 “heirloom rice varieties”…
Source: The Jakarta Post 21/06/2015 – Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said on Sunday that the government would redesign its rice-for-the-poor (Raskin) program following a recommendation from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has detected irregularities in the implementation of the program. Playing down reports that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo would completely remove the…
Source: The New Star 18/06/2015 – Unusually excessive rainfall and cloudy days have been a challenge for growing rice, but it’s too early to become pessimistic about this year’s crop, according to the director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station. “We’ve still got the potential for a good crop,” said Steve Linscombe, also a…
Source: South China Morning Post 12/06/2015 – Mainland scientists claim to have found a way to change the genetic make-up of a popular type of rice, which could require less fertiliser and thus help the environment. Chinese rice, especially the japonica subspecies grown in northern provinces like Heilongjiang province, requires the heavy use of fertilisers…
