Improving rice flour to aid food poverty
One Chinese lie has been finally nailed this time by a team of Indian scientists who provide irrefutable evidence that rice did originate in India, a fact contested by China.
Less is more: Less seed, less water – more rice
Smallholder farmers increase rice yields while using less seed, land and water by applying the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in an IFAD-funded project in Madagascar.
USA – Rice Field day attacts over 400 people to discuss future of the rice industry
Over 400 people gathered at the LSU AG Center Rice Research Station on Wednesday to discuss the future of the rice industry.
Philippines – NFA: Plasticizer found in ‘fake’ rice samples
A plasticizer contaminant was found in samples of suspected synthetic rice obtained from Davao City, the National Food Authority (NFA) said yesterday.
USA – U.S. rice growers want to get in on Cuba
Source: Market Place 02/07/2015 – The U.S. will open an embassy in Havana — so said President Barack Obama Tuesday, a significant step showing that efforts to normalize relations with Cuba are ticking along. However, the embargo still stands, and only Congress can lift it. Should that happen, many U.S. exporters will stand to benefit, including…
Extracting healthy ingredients for food and cosmetics from rice starch
The BIORICE researchers have developed biotechnological processes to convert the by-products found in the processing water of rice starch into different ‘peptides’ (small protein molecules).
Philippines – Philippines plans to preserve highland rice varieties
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”…
Jakarta – Govt to redesign rice-for-poor program
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…
USA – Louisiana still has potential for a good rice crop
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…
China – Modified rice may help combat China’s smog problem, scientists claim
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…