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November 16,2015
Vol 5, Issue XI

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Rice News Headlines...

Pakistan needs a fresh disaster mitigation strategy

NFA targets 71,000 food guardians
Indonesia may face rice shortage due to El Nino
Plant scientists tackle big data problems at workshop
A new lease of life for Rudrur research station
New Director For Indian Institute Of Rice Research
Attending conferences is rewarding
Rice prices may reach boiling point in coming months
IRRI sees PH as rice importer soon
V R Babu appointed as IIRR Director
PhilRice should help build farmers climate resilience
Marcoss unmatched legacy
IRRI sees PH as rice importer soon

News Detail...
Pakistan needs a fresh disaster mitigation strategy
The rural economy takes a huge hit from frequent floods that can be better managed, says Ibrar
ul Hassan Akhtar.
The history of disasters in South Asia reveals what is at stake in the face of climate change.
Analyses of data for natural disasters from the international disaster database EM-DAT, and
covering hazards including droughts, epidemics, floods and landslides shows that India is the
country that has been most affected by these events since 1900, followed by Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Afghanistan. [1] .Every year, agricultural losses related to disaster cost Pakistan
an average of US$15-20 million. This is due to poor governance, rural communities residing
inside flood-prone areas, a lack of adaptive agricultural research and a resistance to changing
what has become a flood business the government compensating those affected by floods
and then resettling them back to the same flood-prone areas. This spells a need to rethink the
countrys national framework for disaster management to protect its agricultural economy.
Rising disaster risk
According to EM-DAT data, the risk of natural disasters in Pakistan has increased over the past
100 years: four per cent (four events) of the global total of natural disasters occurred in the
country during 1900-1947, rising to 64 per cent (79 events) during 1948-1990 and 32 per cent
(40 events), in just the past 15 years, from 1991-2015.Development policy has also changed,
alongside these trends, over the past few decades. There is no doubt that Pakistan has shifted

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towards industries based on agricultural raw materials such as cotton ginning (separating fibres
from seeds) or rice exports much less agricultural growth is occurring
among farming communities. The agro-industrial sector contributes around 21-25 per cent to
national GDP (gross domestic product).
Wheat, cotton, sugar cane and rice are the crops of major economic importance for the country.
Wheat is mainly grown in the Rabi growing season (October-May), which generally avoids the
floods caused by monsoon rains that typically fall from June until September. It follows that
extreme monsoon events and floods harm the national economy directly through losses to life
and of crops, livestock and houses and indirectly, through the huge investments the
government then needs to make to rehabilitate affected areas.Cotton, sugar cane, rice and other
high-value crops are mainly grown in Kharif season (July-September), when they are most at
risk from the monsoon floods. Cotton contributes an average of around 1.5 per cent to GDP, with
rice providing 0.7 per cent, sugar cane 0.6 per cent and maize 0.4 per cent.
Although geospatial technology can help to map and monitor areas at risk of disaster, this is not
enough. The adoption of policies to reduce the impacts of flooding needs legislation.
Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar
The numbers on losses speak for themselves. During the flooding that took place in each of the
past six years (2010-2015), Pakistan lost cumulatively more than an estimated 1,359,000
hectares of cotton, 372,000 hectares of sugar cane and around 1,391,000 hectares of rice. [2-4,
unpublished data 2013-15]
No doubt, the 2010 floods were the worst in terms of geographical extent and damage to crops.
But they also highlighted the lack of a preparedness infrastructure and mechanisms in Pakistan.
Life on the edge
Systems that rely on satellite technology, such as remote sensing and geographic information
systems, have helped improve the countrys management of disasters, through near-real-time
situation analysis, coverage of a wider area than could be monitored physically on the
ground, and through spatial analysis. Crucially, this technology has also enabled us to understand
how many of the countrys rural population live inside or near flood-prone areas and rely on
smallholdings for their livelihood.In the province of Punjab, 531,000 hectares (4.4 per cent) of
agriculture is practised inside the floodplain; in Sindh province, the figure is 489,000 hectares
(7.4 per cent).

During the monsoon season, rising rivers can easily flood crops up to five to ten kilometres
around the river channel. Geospatial analyses have identified several districts in Punjab and
Sindh with significant areas of crops growing inside floodplains during the July-September flood
season.But although geospatial technology can help to map and monitor areas at risk of disaster,

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this is not enough. The adoption of policies to reduce the impacts of flooding needs legislation
to permanently relocate families to safer zones, adopt flood-resilient cropping practices as a
preventive measure, and promote research into cropping systems adapted to floods. In essence, it
needs a revised disaster-management framework.
Such a framework would also reinforce the role of technology, by promoting tools that are more
time-effective and reliable. For example, conventional approaches to data collection in Pakistan
rely on centuries-old administrative systems; they need to be revamped with state-of-the-art
geospatial technologies that can visualise and measure every inch of land surface in the country.
Capacity building is important too: those running management systems lack proper technical
skills, adding further to improper planning and the tendency towards unscientific approaches to
tackling natural disasters.
Pakistan needs a framework that promotes proper assessments of climate change, develops
mitigation strategies, maps risk-prone areas by classifying multiple disasters and supports
research for agricultural adaptations that can add resilience to cropping systems. The countrys
bureaucratic approach to disaster management needs to turn into a technocratic one.Ibrar ul
Hassan Akhtar is a scientist at Pakistans Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission,
Islamabad. He can be contacted at ibrar.space@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are his and do not reflect the official view of his
organisation.
References
[1] Guha-Sapir D, Below R and Hoyois Ph. EM-DAT: The CRED/OFDA International Disaster Database (, a
[2] Pakistan: floods/rains 2010 Rapid crop damage assessment, series no. 1, series no. 2. (Suparco and FAO,
2010)
[3] Pakistan: floods/rains 2011 Rapid crop damage assessment, series no. 3 (Suparco and FAO, 2011)
[4] Pakistan: floods/rains 2012 Rapid crop damage assessment, series no. 4 (Suparco and FAO, 2012)

http://www.scidev.net/global/disasters/opinion/pakistan-disaster-mitigation-strategy.html

NFA targets 71,000 food guardians

November 13, 2015
Leonard T. Pineda I
ILOILO CITY, November 13 (PIA) --- The National Food Authority (NFA)-6 has intensified its
campaign on food security by recruiting more food guardian volunteers in Western
Visayas.NFA-6 Information Officer Cashmere Gemarino said that they are targeting at least
71,000 volunteers in the region who will advocate and perpetuate the best practices for ensuring
food security and non-wastage of rice.This is part of the agencys #1for100iNFAntry campaign
in order to form a proactive army of 1 million food guardian volunteers nationwide, she said.

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Based on research done by the Philippine Rice Research Institute, every individual is wasting an
average of 2 tablespoons of rice, which becomes 3.3 kg annually and at 100 million population,
it adds up to 330,000 MT (metric tons) per year.This also amounts to P27 million worth of rice
wasted every day, or P10 billion worth of rice wasted every year.The NFA said that food
guardians pledge not to waste rice; help in making sure that rice is available, accessible,
affordable and visible in public markets; and follow the correct food handling procedures to
make sure that rice is safe for consumers.Interested food guardian volunteers can sign up at
http:foodguardian.me where they could get their free digital ID. (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo).
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2421447385333/nfa-targets-71-000-foodguardians#sthash.ONFqdT6m.dpuf

Indonesia may face rice shortage due to El Nino

Workers unloading sacks of rice from farmers at the biggest rice market in Jakarta on Sept 9,
2015. PHOTO: AFP
PUBLISHED
NOV 14, 2015, 5:00 AM SGT
Delayed decision on imports also contributes to failure to secure target of 1.5 million tonnes
Indonesia faces the prospect of a rice shortage, largely because of a prolonged dry spell caused
by the El Nino weather phenomenon coupled with a delayed decision by the government to
import the staple for the country's reserve stock.Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong
disclosed this week that the government had secured only one million tonnes of rice, half a
million tonnes short of the target for the year end.
"We got only a small amount of rice at soaring prices," he told The Jakarta Post, addressing
criticism about the delay in making a decision on imports that has cost the country not only in
terms of stock availability but also price.He said Indonesia was overtaken by the Philippines,
which entered the market early to rake in 1.5 million tonnes, higher than its normal purchase of
around 500,000 tonnes to 700,000 tonnes annually.Indonesia secured imports at more than
US$400 (S$570) a tonne, higher than the price of around US$340 in the second quarter of this
year when the government floated the import plan for the first time.
HARD BARGAIN
We got only a small amount of rice at soaring prices.
TRADE MINISTER THOMAS TRIKASIH LEMBONG, addressing criticism about the delay in
making a decision on imports that has cost the country not only in terms of stock availability but
also priceIndonesia is the world's fourth most populous country with 250 million people and has
been importing rice to meet domestic demand almost every year since 1985. It had previously
been self-sufficient for 16 years.

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Indonesians consume about 2.5 million tonnes of rice every month. The Jakarta Post noted that it
is a politically sensitive commodity in the country because it is the main food staple as well as
farmers' main crop.Mr Sutarto Alimoeso, chairman of the association of Indonesian rice-paddy
huskers, told tvOne: "The government is doing a relatively good job in trying to ensure rice
supplies are adequate because it needs to import only up to 1.5 million tonnes despite the fact
that it is an El Nino year."Campaigns for the consumption of cassava and potato as an alternative
to rice and repairing dilapidated irrigation systems are among the keys to ensuring adequate
supplies for Indonesians, according to Mr Sutarto.

President Joko Widodo has made it a priority for Indonesia to be self-sufficient in key
commodities - such as rice, corn, soya beans and sugar - and as part of this push the government
embarked on a range of programmes, including infrastructure improvements in the form of
repairs to damaged irrigation systems.Reports said Mr Joko earlier this year insisted that stocks
would remain adequate even though they were running low and agreed to the import plan only
late last month. He said the decision to import rice was necessary to maintain sufficient stocks in
anticipation of failed harvests due to prolonged drought.
The declining supplies have affected prices. The price of the most widely sold "medium type" of
the grain has gone up from 7,000 rupiah (70 Singapore cents) a kilogram in August to 8,600
rupiah now, according to rice trader Zulmawan, who goes by only one name, in Cilacap, Central
Java."They decided to import late. Rice prices wouldn't have risen this much had they acted more
timely," he told The Straits Times.Drought has badly affected the rice-growing regions of
Karawang and Indramayu in West Java as well as Klaten in Central Java, according to Mr

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Zulmawan. "Stocks held by traders and wholesalers are declining. The worries are for January
and February, ahead of the March main rice harvest."
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-may-face-rice-shortage-due-to-el-nino

Plant scientists tackle big data problems at workshop

By Patricia Waldron
Yaw Nti-Addae
Boyce
Thompson
Institute
associate
professor Lukas Mueller
presents at the GOBII
workshop.Participants at
the first Genomic and
Open source Breeding
Informatics
Initiative
(GOBII) workshop at
the Boyce Thompson
Institute (BTI) the week
of Nov. 2 attempted to
plan a one-size-fits-all
solution to handling big
data in plant research
programs. olecular biologists, computational biologists and software developers traveled from
breeding centers in the Philippines, India and Mexico, and from Cornell University and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, to decide the best way to store and share the trillions of data points
generated in the pursuit of breeding better crops.
Ultimately, the GOBII project seeks to create the architecture for a publicly accessible genomics
database to accelerate the development of improved crop varieties.GOBII researchers work with
breeding centers associated with the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research,
a consortium that supports agricultural research for global development. The centers work to
facilitate crop improvement, with the goal of increasing plant yield, nutritional value and
resilience in the face of climate change.The database will need to be robust enough to handle a
monumental amount of data of multiple types, while also being user-friendly so that plant
breeders can efficiently make use of the information a task equivalent to finding a shirt that
fits everyone, said Kevin Palis, a software developer at the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) in Los Baos, Philippines.

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Breeding centers may sequence tens of thousands of varieties of a single crop to create a catalog
of millions of genetic markers for different traits like disease-resistance or heat tolerance. The
mountains of data can be used for a plant-breeding strategy called genomic selection, which uses
statistical modeling to predict how a new plant variety will perform before being tested in the
field. But to use these markers to make better, faster choices, breeders need tools to access and
analyze the information. The GOBII project hopes to bridge the gap between plant breeders and
available genomic resources to yield better crops, especially in developing countries.Theres so
much information that one can store, and all the centers have overlapping needs, so the goal is to
come up with the core requirements that are going to satisfy all the centers, said Yaw NtiAddae, GOBIIs lead software developer.
Nti-Addae said that the four-day workshop was successful in bringing the interested parties face
to face and in planning out a roadmap for the project.In April 2015 the group received $18.5
million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Cornell to create a breeding database
for five major staple crops wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and chickpea but ultimately, they
hope to develop a system that will work for any crop.Previously, researchers working on a single
crop have maintained their own data sets, using a variety of platforms, formats and terminology,
which are not easily shared. IRRI has developed the International Rice Information System, but
plenty of data is sitting in individual spreadsheets.
We dont have [a database] set up yet and we dont have that much capability to develop
something, said Victor Jun Ulat, a bioinformatician at the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Center in Texcoco, Mexico.BTIs Lukas Mueller, associate professor, is a
collaborator on the project. His lab has developedCassavaBase, a database of genomic data and
physical traits from thousands of cassava varieties. Peter Bradbury, a USDA computational
biologist who works on TASSEL, a software program that analyzes sequence data to find
markers associated with plant traits, also attended the workshop.The plant people moved into
the big data realm, said Ramil Mauleon, a bioinformatics specialist at IRRI, and now we have
to find a way to get a handle on it.Patricia Waldron is the staff science writer for the Boyce
Thompson Institute.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/11/plant-scientists-tackle-big-data-problems-workshop

A new lease of life for Rudrur research station

P. RAM MOHAN
Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research Station at Rudrur in Banswada Assembly constituency is
on the path of regaining its past glory with four premier institutions functioning at one place.It is
being revamped after the launch of Government Agriculture Polytechnic College and Food
Science Technology. Krishi Vignana Kendram (KVS) attached to the research station is also on
the premises providing training to farmers in cultivable methods. All four are at one place on

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the sprawling 300-acre land and all the research work on various crop varieties is going on well,
said Principal Scientist (Agronomy) and Head, B. Joseph.Established in the year 1932 by the last
Nizam of the Hyderabad State, Mir Osman Ali Khan, to conduct research on sugarcane to
develop high yielding varieties, the station subsequently took up research on other crops also.
The basic idea behind the establishment of the station was water being available with the
construction of the Nizam Sagar Project.During the course of eight decades, the station had seen
several ups and downs while carrying out research work. Scientists here developed several
varieties of paddy and also sugarcane that was sent to the local Nizam Sugar Factory at Bodhan.
But later, for reasons best known to the rulers, the research station was somewhat neglected.As
of now, as many as ten agriculture scientists on regular basis and five research assistants are
doing research at the station affiliated to Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture
University. We need at least 10 more scientists to carry out the research work in full swing,
said Prof. Joseph.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-telangana/a-new-lease-of-life-for-rudrur-researchstation/article7875787.ece

New Director For Indian Institute Of Rice Research

November 13,2015, 03.36 PM IST | | THE
HANS INDIA

Dr. Vemuri Ravindra Babu has been

appointed as Director, Indian Institute of
Rice Research, Hyderabad by Indian
Council of Agricultural Research. Dr.
Babu has assumed charge as Director on
9th November, 2015. The scientific
community expressed its happiness over
the selection of Dr.V.R.Babu to this
prestigious position at one of the Indias
premier Rice Research Institutes
established in the year 1965.
IIRR has completed its 50 years and is celebrating Golden Jubilee this year, taking over of
Dr.Babu as Director of IIRR on this occasion assumes a great significance. Dr.Babu hails from
Nizamabad district of Telangana and worked in various capacities in several states like AP,
Telanagana and Gujarat.
He had contributed immensely for agricultural research and is instrumental in development of
several rice varieties and specialized in Bio-fortification of rice. His current focus is ensuring
the nutritional security to the poor along with food security. ICAR has recognized his
contributions to agriculture research in general and rice in particular. With the help of his

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colleague scientists at IIRR he is chalking out the strategies for stepping up the rice production,
also to face the challenges emerged out of water, climate change and labour related issues.
________________________________________
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2015-11-13/New-Director-For-Indian-Institute-OfRice-Research-186298

Attending conferences is rewarding

by Zac Sarian
November 13, 2015
Attending agri-related conferences is rewarding in a number of ways. For one, you meet
interesting persons you would not normally meet elsewhere.At the recent rice forum in Vietnam
organized by Bayer CropScience and the International Rice Research Institute, we met Dr.
Manuel Regalado, a long time researcher at PhilRice and now deputy director of the same.We
were most excited by a novel concept on palay drying that he has been working on for sometime
which promises a big impact on the rice industry once it is commercialized.
The technology will enable farmers to dry their palay faster and with very minimal loss in the
quality of the grains. He calls the technique Far Infrared Ray (FIR) radiation of palay grains. In
their experiment, this technique can reduce the moisture content of the grains from 18% to 13%
in a matter of two hours. Thats so much faster than the conventional system of spreading the
grains on a concrete floor or using a mechanical dryer that could take several hours to do the job.

DR. MANUEL REGALADO, PhilRice deputy director

and scientist, has an ongoing research on the use of Far
Infrared Ray (FIR) for drying palay. In their experiment,
palay with 18 percent moisture content can be dried to
13 percent moisture content in just two hours with the
use of the technology. The wavelength of FIR is similar
to that of the water molecule in the grain of rice, hence
the palay dries fast when hit by FIR.Dr. Regalado
explained how FIR works. He said that the wavelength
of FIR is similar to the wavelength of the water
molecule inside the grain. If the grains are exposed to
FIR, the ray hits the water molecule inside the grain so
it dries faster with practically no loss in grain qualTo
dry the gains, Dr. Regalado and his team made a
ceramic plate out of lahar. When the ceramic plate is
subjected to heat coming from a rice hull gasifier

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burner, it gives out FIR. The ceramic plate is placed above the grains that are moved around by a
conveyor underneath.Once it is finally ready for commercialization, the technology will have a
great impact on the rice industry.
VETERAN RICE BREEDER At the Vietnam rice forum, we also met a veteran rice breeder
at PhilRice, Ms. Thelma F. Padolina who holds a degree in chemistry and an MS in crop science.
She heads a group that has been responsible in producing various outstanding rice varieties that
are commercially grown by farmers today. She also heads a technical working group that tests
certain lines before they are approved as varieties by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC)
for commercial production.
Two well known varieties developed by Ms. Padolina and her team are NSIC Rc 160 and 218.
These have excellent eating quality and are well liked by consumers because they are soft when
cooked. These varieties are good for both the wet and dry seasons, yielding five to six tons per
hectare. It is said that these two varieties are also the favorite of rice millers because they have a
high milling recovery.
Some millers use the two varieties in coming up with what they call ramble rice. This is a
mixture of several varieties that will be acceptable to most customers. Why do they have to do
that? Well, there is an inbred variety NSIC Rc 222 which usually yields 30 cavans higher than
most other commercial varieties. The problem is that when cooked, the rice is hard because it has
a high amylose content. So by mixing the varieties with more desirable eating quality, they can
come up with the ramble that can be acceptable in price and eating quality to many consumers.
**** **** ****
AANI FARM TOUR If you want to see an award-winning organic farm, better join the AANI
Farm Tour tomorrow, November 15. The tour will visit the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay,
Laguna which has become a favorite destination for tourists who are interested in organic
farming.Aside from organic vegetables, Costales also raises organic pigs and poultry. It has also
become a training center for people who want to go into organic farming. It is an accredited
technology provider in organic agriculture by the Agricultural Training Institute of the
Department of Agriculture. You can contact Jocelyn Mahipus for your reservation at 0917-7950616.
http://www.mb.com.ph/attending-conferences-is-rewarding/

Rice prices may reach boiling point in coming months

PTI | Nov 15, 2015, 09.00PM IST

As per the government estimates, kharif rice production is

estimated at 90.61 million tonnes in 2015-16 crop year.NEW
DELHI: After pulses, rice prices may also shoot up and
reach a "boiling point" in the coming months due to
depletingstocks and likely fall in its kharif output, according
to industry body Assocham. The report, however, contradicts

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the current price trend in the market, where wholesale prices of non-basmati prices are ruling
down at Rs 25 per kg as against Rs 30 per kg last year. Similarly, wholesale rates of premium
basmati rice have declined sharply by about 30 per cent to Rs 44-45 per kg at present from Rs
62-65 per kg last season, as per traders.
Whereas industry body Assocham in its study said after pulses, onion and mustard oil, rice prices
may trouble consumers if timely adequate safeguards are not taken. "...prices of rice may shoot
up and reach a boiling point in the coming months as the stock of the key staple cereal is
depleting fast owing to deficient rains and fall in output," the study said. As per the government
estimates, kharif rice production is estimated at 90.61 million tonnes in 2015-16 crop
year. "...this is unlikely to be achieved due to severe deficit rains in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh,Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka and the best that could be achieved is 89 million
tonnes," it said adding that overall rice output may be around 103 million tonnes during 201516.
That apart, the study said rice stocks have declined in last three years from 24.59 million tonnes
in 2012 to 13.89 million tonnes (plus unlimited paddy 3.61 tonnes) in stocks at
present. "Increasing export outgo on account of PDS (Public Distribution System) and other
welfare schemes will continue to weigh on availability in the open market. Unless government is
able to handle the situation prudently, depleting stocks will soon reflect on the open market
prices", adds the study.
The Times of India

IRRI sees PH as rice importer soon

by Ellalyn De Vera
November 14, 2015
An expert of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said the Philippines has a lot of
potential, in terms of rice production, and could even reach exporter status.I think it can
increase production and reach a level where they can become a rice exporter, said Dr. Tobias
Kretzschmar, head of the Genotyping Services Laboratory of the Plant Breeding, Genetics and
Biotechnology Division of IRRI.According to Kretzschmar, there are a lot of rice varieties in the
Philippines that are grown and sold, which contain the majority of IRRI germ plasms, living
genetic resources such as seeds or tissue that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant
breeding, preservation, and other research uses.
But I think if we look at the very current situation, PhilRice is catching up. I think PhilRice is
releasing more varieties into the market than IRRI at the moment. So from becoming a major
work horse, I think we are stepping back in our support for the Philippines because the
Philippine national program is strong enough to probably lead itself, he said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/irri-sees-ph-as-rice-importer-soon/#6gHiKIj7pgHzJULz.99

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V R Babu appointed as IIRR Director

PTI AUTHOR:
NITI PTI BOT - NOVEMBER 14, 2015
Hyderabad, Nov 13 (PTI) Dr Vemuri Ravindra Babu has been appointed the Director of
Hyderabad-headquartered Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) by the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR).Babu, who assumed charge on November 9, hails from
Nizamabad district of Telangana and served in various capacities at the IIRR, established in
1965, an IIRR statement said.
He has contributed immensely to agricultural research and is instrumental in development of
several rice varieties and specialised in bio-fortification of rice, according to IIRR.With the help
of his scientist colleagues at IIRR, Babu is chalking out strategies for stepping up rice production
and working on issues surrounding challenges arising out of water, climate change and labourrelated issues, it said.
http://news.niticentral.com/2015/11/14/v-r-babu-appointed-as-iirr-director/

PhilRice should help build farmers climate resilience

November 16, 2015 at 12:01 am by Ferdie G. Domingo
SCIENCE CITY OF MUOZ, Nueva EcijaA former director of the Philippine Rice Research
Institute said those in the agency must think out of the box as it pursues a climate-resilient
agriculture for Filipino farmers.Calixto Protacio, former executive director, said this as the
agency observed its 30th anniversary this weekend.The anniversary is marked by 70 rice
varieties bred, 24 rice machines developed, 23 patents applied for, and several other
achievements in rice research and development.Protacio led the two-day celebration at
PhilRices central experiment station here along with officials and various stakeholders,
including farmers.
We are eager to do more so our research outputs will reach more farmers, particularly the
resource-poor farmer, Protacio said in his anniversary message.PhilRice, which has been
leading rice R & D efforts since its founding in 1985, has provided cost-reducing and yieldenhancing technologies on rice.Muoz Mayor Nestor Alvarez said with PhilRice, Muoz is now
heralded as among the major rice seeds hub in the country.Muoz is privileged to host PhilRice.
Along the national highway, one cannot help but notice the proliferation of rice seed centers,
making the Science City a major rice seeds hub in the Philippines, he said.This certainly creates
a domino effect in terms of livelihood creation from people manning the rice fields, sales agents,
to the many of input dealers in the city.
Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, PhilRice deputy executive director for development, noted that the
institute has become visible through the Be RICEponsible campaign, a nationwide initiative to
convince local governments to issue ordinances on half-cup serving of rice on major food
establishments to arrest the issue on rice wastage.Quilang said the campaign has yielded
encouraging results. We are all united to help reduce rice wastage in the Philippines, he
said.Eden Gagelonia of the PhilRices rice engineering and mechanization division said the
institute is also leading efforts to mechanize the rice industry. A number of machines has been
developed to help reduce work load in farming and make them useful even for women farmers.

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Meanwhile, former executive director Leocadio S. Sebastian advised PhilRice to properly

position itself amid climate change and other threats to rice food production.PhilRice should
focus its programs, harness its networks and partners, and think outside the box in developing,
together with our farmers and concerned stakeholders, options for a competitive, sustainable, and
climate-smart agriculture, said Sebastian, who headed PhilRice from 2000-2008.Aside from its
central experiment station here, PhilRice also has branch stations in Batac City, Ilocos Norte;
San Mateo, Isabela; Los Baos, Laguna; Ligao City, Albay; Murcia, Negros Occidental;
Romualdez, Agusan del Norte; Central Mindanao State University, Bukidon; and Midsayap,
North Cotabato.In 2015, Philrice received the Anak ni Juan Award from the Intellectual Property
Office of the Philippines (IPOPhl).
It recognizes PhilRice as the agency with the most number of patents applied.Jerry Serapion,
Philrice intellectual property management chief, said the award is a testament to the intensive
knowledge production going on in the institute.As a research institute, PhilRice is tasked to
advance the various frontiers of rice science. Protacio said that this year, more than 25 scientific
publications have been produced by the institutes researchers and scientists.Some of these were
even published in some of the most reputable journals in the world such as the Journal of Food
Agriculture and Environment, International Journal of Ecology and Conservation, Philippine
Journal of Crop Science, and the Philippine Agricultural Scientist.
http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/192011/-philrice-should-help-build-farmers-climateresilience-.html

Marcoss unmatched legacy

by Cecilio Arillo - November 15, 2015
Conclusion
IN his first term, President Marcos immediately sat out to solve the countrys most urgent
problems of inadequate food supply, lack of basic social services, infrastructure support and a
lethargic economy controlled by aliens and a well-entrenched oligarchy. He relentlessly pursued
his political and social platform of rice and roads. The priority was to achieve food security for
his people.It was during Marcoss presidency that the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) was established to serve as the focal point of research efforts in rice technology, not only
for the country, but also for the rest of the world.
The different high-yielding varieties developed at IRRI soon changed the agricultural landscape
in most rice-producing nations in the Third World, includingour country. As a result, the
Philippines began exporting rice in 1977. After being a rice importer for many decades, the
country was able to ship 15,000 metric tons of rice to Indonesia. Since then, the country has been
consistently exporting rice in varying amounts to such countries as Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Vietnam, Brazil, Australia and Germany.
Aware that the agriculture-based economy could not compete with the emerging markets in Asia,
President Marcos ordered on September 28, 1979 the implementation of the countrys 11 heavy
industrialization projects and announced this before the University of the Philippines Law
Alumni Association. At that time. we were already on the way to NIC-hood status (newly
industrialized country).The projects were integrated steel, petrochemical complex, heavy

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engineering industries, the expansion of the cement industry, the industrialization of the coconut
industry, an integrated pulp and paper mill, copper smelter, aluminum smelter, phosphate
fertilizer, the manufacture of diesel engines and Alcogas.
In reaction, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank and their allies, including the Presidents technocrats, led by
then-Prime Minister Cesar Virata; the Makati Business Club, led by the late Jaime Ongpin and
the Zobel-Ayala group; and the Center for Research and Communication, an institution
associated with Opus Dei, whose spokesman was Dr. Bernardo Villegas, went to work,
relentlessly blocking and delaying the projects at every turn.To oppose Marcos, they even came
up with a sardonic slogan to dramatize their effort: You cant eat steel!Visibly irritated over
the negative reactions of the IMF-World Bank and the Makati business group, Marcos issued a
strong public statement accusing them of sabotaging the countrys industrialization plan.
A year later, Ninoy Aquino, who ignored the governments request to suspend his return to the
country, was assassinated on his arrival at the airport. The incident triggered a political and
economic crisis in the country, exacerbated by a spate of oil-price increases, inflation, capital
flight and the deliberate tightening control of credits by the IMF-World Bank and other foreign
creditors.As a consequence, Marcoss massive industrialization plan evaporated into thin air.
Look what happened:
The economy in the post-Marcos years turned from bad to worse notwithstanding his successors
accumulated budgets in 29 years of more than P30 trillion. This huge budget, which is now a
subject of a comprehensive research work by the Philippine Council of Management Research
Institute, was supposed to spur economic growth.By comparison, Marcoss official accumulated
budget in 20 years was only P486.42 billion. Yet, on records, none of them or all of his
successors combined could not even match his economic infrastructures of roads, bridges,
hospitals and schools; a tri-modal transportation system of air, land and sea; communication
facilities; energy infrastructure; and the laws required to safeguard the economy and make it
progressive.
Marcoss laws and other edicts
Marcos crafted and formulated with the help of experts 7,883 presidential decrees (PDs) and
other legal issuances from September 21, 1972 up to February 26, 1986, a span of 14
years.Justice Manuel Lazaro said these laws set the rules, regulations and penalties for almost
every facet of lawful and ethical human conductfrom birth to grave.
They are categorized as follows: PD (1 to 2036); Letters of Instruction (1 to 1525); Letters of
Implementation (1 to 157); General Orders (1 to 61); Executive Orders (EO) (366 to 1093);
Administrative Orders (349 to 504); Proclamations (1081 to 2486); and Memo Circulars (599 to
1297).Out of the 7,883 presidential issuances, only 67 PDs or less than .01 percent have either
been repealed or modified. The minimal percentage of 67 PDs either repealed or modified by EO
187 issued by Corazon Aquino were the decrees increasing the penalties for certain offenses
against public order and security, e.g., PDs 38, 1735, 1834, 1974 and 1996.

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Interestingly, the rationale and purpose of the PDs repealed or modified were resurrected in
enacting Article 134-A of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by RA 6968. Notably, 7,816
issuances are still effective and enforced up to the present. These laws are eloquent proof of the
wisdom, vision, dedication and foresight Marcos possessed as instruments of good and effective
governance.Lazaro said: No President in the countrys legal history had codified more laws.
Worth mentioning are the 15 codified laws, with social and economic relevance. These are the
Local Tax Code [PD 231]; Labor Code of the Philippines [PD 442]; Real Property Tax Code [PD
464]; Child and Youth Welfare Code [PD 603]; Insurance Code [PD 612];
Revised Forestry Code [PD 705]; Code of Sanitation [PD 856]; Coconut Industry Code [PD
961]; Water Code [PD 1067]; Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines [PD 1083];
National Building Code [PD 1096]; Philippines Environment Code [PD 1152]; Fire Code [PD
1185]; Government Auditing Code [PD 1445]; Tariff and Customs Code [PD 1464]; and Code of
Agrarian Reform [PD 444].
More important, there is the Judicial Development Fund, the wellspring of the financial benefits
of the members of the judiciary. There is also the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., a
consistent source of revenues for the country.In essence, as long as the laws he issued are
embedded in the countrys legal system, Marcos lives and they will continue to guide and
safeguard the nation and its people.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/marcoss-unmatched-legacy/

IRRI sees PH as rice importer soon

by Ellalyn De Vera
November 14, 2015
An expert of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said the Philippines has a lot of
potential, in terms of rice production, and could even reach exporter status.I think it can
increase production and reach a level where they can become a rice exporter, said Dr. Tobias
Kretzschmar, head of the Genotyping Services Laboratory of the Plant Breeding, Genetics and
Biotechnology Division of IRRI.
According to Kretzschmar, there are a lot of rice varieties in the Philippines that are grown and
sold, which contain the majority of IRRI germ plasms, living genetic resources such as seeds or
tissue that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other
research uses.But I think if we look at the very current situation, PhilRice is catching up. I think
PhilRice is releasing more varieties into the market than IRRI at the moment. So from becoming
a major work horse, I think we are stepping back in our support for the Philippines because the
Philippine national program is strong enough to probably lead itself, he said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/irri-sees-ph-as-rice-importer-soon/#eL8iRs2OIGmZUU2b.99

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