February 2019 Asia Agriculture, Seed Industry News

[caption id="attachment_13045" align="alignright" width="250"] An APSA member company will collaborate with the Uzbekistan government to establish a seed cluster. See 'Inter-regional' section for more details.[/caption] APSA: Herein are summaries of important seed and agriculture industry developments in the region, including news in and affecting Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and then some. Click the drop-down titles to expand the respective sections, which include links to original sources. 

East Asia

[expand title="China"] CNSA Secretary General underlines importance of seed associations: Speaking at a joint meeting of China’s provincial seed associations in January, Mr.Jiang Xiexin, the Secretary General of the China National Seed Association (CNSA) praised the strong cooperation between provincial and national seed bodies. The annual joint meeting of the secretaries of provincial seed associations is a regular function convened by reps of provincial-level seed associations. This year’s meeting marked the 40th anniversary since the reform and opening up of the Chinese seed industry. In his speech, Mr. Jiang marked the continued need to reform the seed industry.  He said it is necessary to fully affirm the effectiveness of the work of provincial associations and constantly improve cooperation between provincial and national seed associations. He also took the opportunity to gauge support for the upcoming 2019 China seed Conference Late Chinese botanist awarded for gene bank contributions: The late Zhong Yang, who died in a car accident in 2017, was in February 2019 posthumously awarded as one of 10 of “Touching China 2018” persons of the year. The botanist worked in the Tibet Autonomous Region for 16 years, leading a team to collect millions of plant seeds for Chinese gene banks. Guangzhou Customs expediting clearance of foreign seeds:  China News reports that Customs at the Port of Guangzhou has opened a special channel to expedite inspection clearance of imported seeds and fertilizers. The move is to facilitate seamless import of vital agriculture inputs in high demand ahead of the Spring planting season.  According to the report, Customs at the Southern Chinese port facilitated the import of 13 batches of seeds, representing 1,500 tonnes and a value of more than $1.5 million. Rice farmers in southern China optimistic ahead of March transplant: Thanks to simple yet effective planting and transplanting techniques applied by agriculture officials and farmers for at least half of the paddy cultivated in Qiaoshang Village, Baimi Town, Hejiang County and Quzhou City in the south of China, productivity continues on the up. Farmers are able to ensure stable yields despite cool and unpredictable winter weather by sowing and mulching seeds initially in plastic tunnels to ensure strong seedlings before transplanting. According to a seed station official in Ganzhou city, there are about 2 million mu (133,333 hectare) of rice paddies, which are expected to yield more than a million tonnes of paddy this year. Spring seed supplies sufficient for Hubei Province and Chonqing City: Huba Daily News reports that the province is ready for spring planting. Accordingly, the province has prepared some 28,000 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds, and 25,000 tonnes of maize seeds. The report says that planting is expected to span 120 million mu or 8 million hectares.  Hybrid rice and corn seed reserves are also reported to be sufficient in the Dazu district of Chinqing City, reports CQ News. There, 169.8  tonnes of hybrid corn seed; and 148 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds are on stock. Officials expect planting in the district this year to span 1.7 million mu -- well over half (980,000 mu) of which will be for grain, while about 180,000 mu will be used to cultivate spring-sown vegetables. Spring planting, ploughing and seed surveillance in Yunnan: The provincial government of Yunnan has established 43 observation stations to monitor some 70 different types of crops in eight categories to be planted this year across 62 million mu, or about 4.13 million hectares. Xinhua reports that planned acreage includes 15.8 million mu of vegetables, 11mn mu of potato, 7.2mn mu of beans, 6.5mn mu of tobacco, 5.3mn mu of oil crops, 4.25mn mu of sugar and 8.4mn mu of other crops. The stations will be used in the monitoring of diseases, productivity and seed supply situation province wide. Spring seed supplies for the planting of hybrid corn, hybrid rice and OP rice is sufficient this planting season. Purging poverty through planting: Poverty may be a thing of the past for some 8,300 households in Yunnan who can earn up to 1.2 billion yuan by planting cherries, grapes, walnuts, strawberries, herbs and vegetables across 200,000 mu (13,333 ha) in Western Ynunan, reports 10yan.com.  Developing Hainan into a ‘Breeding Hub’: Coordinated efforts are underway to develop the city of Sanya, in China’s Hainan Province, into a breeding research hub. With growing importance afforded to the island province by government officials and academic institutions in recent years, Sanya has been nicknamed “Nan Fan” -- literally “Southern Breeding”. As part of a project to boost seed breeding, research and production in Hainan, which is will include a free trade zone port, reports JCRB.com  Chinese researchers apply genomics to improve potato inbreeding: Chinese scientists have made a significant breakthrough in potato genomics and thus breeding potential. The scientists (Chinese report here), who published their findings in Nature Genetics in January, were looking to shed some light on severe inbreeding depression, which is common in potato. They identified 15 genomic regions with severe segregation distortions due to selection at the gametic and zygotic stages. One deleterious allele was found to derive from a rare mutation that disrupts a gene required for embryo development. GM maize seeds seized in Liaoning Province. A corn and rice seed company was fined 120,000 yuan after authorities confiscated 87.5 tones of genetically-modified maize seeds. According to Sina China news source, the company had not been approved by authorities to conduct trials as per regulations in China, and thus was imposed with administrative penalties IP infringement litigation over popular wheat variety highlights strengthened protection: A case study about litigation over a popular “Zhengmai 366” wheat variety in Shaanxi underlines the complex and evolving nature of plant variety protection trends in China. Alternate cropping to improve rice yields: A paddy farmer in Heilongjiang Province is improving his yields by using fallow irrigation, and skipping a year of planting, reports Xin Hua. His efforts have been subsidized as part of national-provincial fallow program to restore fertility to fields. Grain output in Heilongjiang Province last year reached 75 million tonnes, with sustained productivity under threat due to increased dependence on fertilizers as well as water challenges. Chinese fruit doctor performs surgery on plants to raise medical awareness: Dr Wang Yexiao is a 31-year-old Chinese surgeon in Heilongjiang province who has been gaining a following after posting videos of him extracting seeds from plants and fruits to promote the importance of precision surgery. Today Online dot com reports on the doctor who started making the fruit surgery videos to entertain his young-son son, and later started uploading them to the Chinese video-sharing platform Kuaishou. Some of his videos have gained millions of views, and the doctor now has 100,000 followers. Chinese moon seeds die soon after sprouting: Excitement spread rapidly after it was revealed in mid-January that cotton seeds had sprouted inside a special growing capsule experiment on the dark side of the moon. Joy became disappointment, however, when it was reported by Chonqing University a few days later that the sprouts had withered and died due to extremely cold temperatures on the moon, many sources report. The capsule, which weighed 2.6kg, was fitted with camera and a temperature control module, was packed with six types of organisms: potato, Arabidopsis thaliana, rapeseed, cotton, fruit fly, and yeast. In addition, it contained 18ml of water.  More details here on BBC and XJ.cnr.cn.  Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Korea"] Korean cereal production in 2018 down, imports up in 2019: A country report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that aggregate cereal production in Korea for the 2018 cropping season at 5.4 million tonnes, which is about 7 percent lower thn the five-year average; meanwhile the report forecasts Korea needing to import a total of 15.2mn tonnes of cereal grains in the 2018/19 marketing year which ends in September, which would be four percent higher than the five-year average Goyang City pledges to boost urban community farms and seed banks: Farmers and city officials gathered for the “Goyang City Urban Agricultural Development Forum” in January to exchange ideas and opinions on how to bolster urban farming. Community, ecology and society were key themes expressed at the meeting, which considered the establishment of public gardens, shared farms and the development of a community seed banks to preserve and multiply native seeds. Korean govt offers country of origin guidelines for Lunar New Year produce: Korea Bizwire reports on guidelines issued by Korea’s National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service announced in late January to help consumers distinguish between popular fruits and vegetables cultivated in South Korea and China. Among them include persimmon, chestnuts, dried baloon flower roots, bracken and shiitake mushrooms. The guidelines cover specific characteristics related to shape, peel, seeds and taste. In related news, Hwaesong Food Center has published a book to raise awareness about the preservation of native Korean seeds collected in community seed bank. According to a preview,  the “book is a collection of 242 farmhouses growing 602 native agricultural products that have been preserved for 100 years or longer …” Also related, the Korean The Forest Service has recently published a 'Forest Guidebook' in Korean language which divides 18 famous places in Chungju and Jecheon. Among the places recommended is he National Forestry Cultivation Center in Chungju. Llocated in Suanbyeon, the center produces and distributes forest tree seeds. Visitors can visit the center’s Gene bank, genetic testing room, seed storage room and laboratory. Seed subsidies for village community revitalization: The Daejeon government is offering subsidies to villager groups of three or more to invest in seed, seedling and fruit ventures. With a project fund of KRW110 million, individual subsidies range from KRW 1 million to 10 million per venture, with specific quotas announced. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Japan"] Official says native species not affected by abolition of Seed Law: A grain department official told a concerned agriculture group that native species of rice, wheat and soybeans could continue to be propagated without worry. The group had a meeting with the official to discuss concerns about the abolition of Japan’s Main Crop Seeds Law, which was effective since April 1, 2018, and essentially allows foreign investment in the production of main crops in Japan. The official said that (IP) restrictions on breeding applied to newly-developed varieties, not native species. Begonia exhibition in Hyogo until March 31: Attention Japanese foliage plant lovers: Hundreds of varieties are on display in the Toyakura Town of Kasai city in Hyogo Prefecture. General admission is 500 yen, and half that for seniors and handicapped. Roadside maintenance threatens endangered Japanese plants: Asahi.com reports that roadside weeding and maintenance efforts have been detrimental to rare plant conservation on the island of Anami Oshima in the Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is home to some 190 endangered plants that grow there naturally. Farmland diverted by ‘New Urban’ expansion: Agricultural acreage is rapidly disappearing with expansion of the “New Urban Area” that spans parts of Kyoto,Terada and Nagoya. A Kyoto news source reports that urban expansion is putting some farmers under pressure to sell or rent out their land to developers. Old US airfield in Okinawa repurposed as flower garden by school: A plot of land in Okinawa’s Yomitan village that was previously utilized by the US Military as an airfield has now been re-purposed into a beautiful botanical garden. The plot was previously returned to the Yomitan Junior High school, who with the support from local industry and officials, converted it into an attractive site for local tourists. 79 year old local preserves prefecture trees: Mr. Sugimoto Shigehiro of Miyazaki City has been raising seedlings from tree seeds he collected from the local prefecture office and the Horikiri Pass. He will donate the saplings to the prefecture government   Return to top [/expand]

South Asia

[expand title="Pakistan"] Civil society, farmers organization challenges legality of seed, plant breeder’s rights law: Technology Times Pakistan has reported on a petition filed by the Sojhla for Social Change and Human-Voice that challenge the lagality of Pakistan’s Plant Breeder’s Rights Act of 2016 and Seed (Amendment) Act of 2015. The petition highlights alleged technicalities in the legislative processes for passing the laws. A Full Bench of the Lahore High Court heard the petitions in February and directed notice be issued to the Attorney General before adjourning. 13 new rice varieties given official nod in Pakistan: The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council in February reccomended 13 rice varieties -- 12 hybrid and one OP -- for commercial cultivation countrywide. The variteies were selected from a total 26 proposals of varities recommended for approval from the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, reports The International News Pakistan and The Nation Pakistan.  Seeding ‘aforestation’ on both sides of motorway: In Feb, Pakistan Forestry Dept officials numbering 600 sowed 930kg of seeds along 44km route of the of Hazara Motorway. The varieties planted include Cacia Nilotica, Chir, Bakain, Alenthus, Phulai, Sanata, Sheesham and others. Many had seed pods a year later; seeds planted this year weighed about 700kg. The work is reportedly on a volunteer basis and all the seeds were donated, or collected without purchase.  Foreign investment prospects in Pakistan agriculture look bright: The Tribune Pakistan has highlighted some of the strengths and opportunities of current and coming investment into the South Asian country’s agriculture sector. Citing progress with the China-Pakistan Economic Cooridor, the report also highlights plans announced by American livestock firm, Cargill, to invest US$200 million.  In related news, the State Bank of Pakistan Governor has urged agriculture stakeholders to embrace new technologies to bolster productivity as the country looks to export more and thus reduce its trade deficit. Pakistan reportedly depends on Rs 2 million worth of imported seeds, as local companies are reluctant to invest in modern seed production technology, reports the Tribune Pakistan to export half a million tons of wheat from surplus: The Tribune Pakistan reports that the government expects to earn about 16.4 billion rupees ($117 million) from the sale of 500,000 tons of wheat. The article cites surplus stocks estimated to be about 4.5mn tons as the country has produced more wheat than the domestic market demand in recent years. This year it expects to yield about 25.5mn tons, which is expected would be a surplus of one million tons. Key importers of Pakistani wheat include Afghanistan, UAE, Indonesia, Oman, Sri Lanka, Iran and Malaysia. Pakistan ag, food price crises: The News Pakistan reports that prices of tomato, potato, onion and other farm produce have deflated, while food prices have remained relatively the same over the period of a year. This is despite inflation in other sectors of the economy as farmers struggle to recover their costs while the cost of living goes up. Pakistan cotton production declines: Ginneries in Pakistan reported receiving 10.4 million bales of seed cotton in 2018-2019 period ending on January 15. This represents a decline of 7.7% year on year, as reported by Dawn and the News Pakistan, which cite various reasons for reduction in production, including a decline in seed and input quality, reduced planting due to weather as well as other economic and political reasons. According to a figure credited to the ADll Pakistan Textile Mills Association, the country needs to import up to four million bales of cotton this year, which coincides with the government withdrawing customs duties and sales tax to enable the duty-free import of the commodity. Winter weather in Pakistan: January and February have brought a mixed bag of cold and wet weather to Pakistan. Following a long spell of drought, much- needed winter rain in south Punjab was welcome by farmers of wheat, sugarcane, maize, vegetables, mango orchards and other fodder crops. However, officials warned mango farmers to be on the lookout for bacterial infection and anthracnose, reports Urdu Point. Likewise, standing water and rain has posed some risks for the sowing of maize and harvesting of potato, reports Dawn. And though rain has proved a relief for sugarcane and wheat production in Sindh, moderate drought was expected to persist in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Khairpur, Matyari, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Sajawal and Thatta districts as authorities role out relief packages.  Return to top [/expand] [expand title="India"] Pune Hosts Flora, Horti and Gardening Expos: The Indian city of Pune will host the 14th International Flora Expo 2019, along with 11th International Horti Expo 2019, 13th International Landscape & Gardening Expo 2019 from 22 to 24, February at the Messe Global, Exhibition & Convention Centre, Laxmi Lawns, Magarpatta. Record rains, hailstorms cited for damage crops: The Indian Express reports that damages from excess rain and hail were expected for mustard, wheat and vegetable crop in Punjab, including Sudhar, Sidhwanbet, Jagraon and Ludhiana districts.  The Daily Pioneer also reports that the bad weather in the first part of February caused damage to potatoe, mustard, green pea, onion, orchard and rice crops in several Indian states: Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. A report by HW News India cited Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit demanding local government not delay in compensating farmers who did lose crops from hailstorms. The bad weather, however, did not affect the wheat crop, according o the ICAR director, who forecast for output this year to reach 100 million tonnes, reports the Times of India. World’s largest seed on display at Hindu pilgrimage: Outlook India is reporting that a double coconut palm seed weighing 30 kilograms was on display by the Ministry of Environment at the world’s largest congregation of Kumbh Mela from January 15 to March 4. The seed reportedly came from a double coconut palm tree planted in 1894 in Kolkata. The tree is said to have a lifespan of 1,000 years and is now grown on two African islands. Sunflower sowing seed prices surge: A shortage of quality seed in the Odisha state has caused a delay in sunflower cultivation in the district of district of Kendrapara. According to the New Indian Express, farmers were planning to cultivate the popular oilseed crop across 1,200 hectares, which would require about 12,000 quintals or 120 tonnes of seed; however, due to undisclosed reasons, official government supply of seeds -- which are offered to farmers at a fixed price of 205 INR per kilogram -- have been short, and farmers in a rush to plant have had to procure low-quality seed in the open market for as much as 300 INR per kg. Farmers there reportedly can earn up to 75,000 INR per hectare from the cash crop. IARI rolls out new grain, veg and fruit varieties: Krishi Jagran has published a list of commercial research accomplishments announced by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). These include a number of new disease-resistant, weather-tollerant, high-yielding and/or nutrient-rich genotypes developed by the School of Basic Sciences, including new genotypes of rice, maize, wheat, chickpea, pearl millet and pigeonpea; School of Horticultural Science hybrids in mango; new varieties of cherry tomato, onion, longmelon, round melon, cucumber, muskmelon, sponge gourd and bitter gourd. Seeds of the new varieties have been distributed by the respective schools. India tops world for tractor market: According to a report from the Nikkei Asian Review, tractor sales in India are xpected to reach million units at next year. And though more than half of India’s population earns a living through agriculture, the adoption of agriculture machinery is still at around 10%. Private crop insurers pull profit, but not state insurers: According to an article by the Indian Express, eleven surveyed private crop insurers in India made 30 billion INR profit (3,000 crore) in the year ending March, 2018. During that same period, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) insurers lost more than 40 billion INR. Indian scientist in Texas honored as Foreign Fellow: The director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, Dr. Bhimu Patilm was named a Foreign Fellow by Horticulture Society of India for contributions to melon, horticulture research Cardamom stocks from south India low, prices surge: Prices of cardamom, a spice-crop commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, have spiked by 30%. According to a report in Food Navigator, the spike is linked to excess rain and hot weather in India’s Kerala state, resulting in a shortage of crops Indian mustard seed output optimistic: Preliminary planting figures for India’s rabi or winter-season crops indicate that output of the next mustard crop could reach 71,000 tonnes, which would be the highest in four years, reports Money Control.  The positive sentiment for mustard was immediately reflected in futures prices, as reported by India.com Cotton seed supply licenses canceled, suspended: The New Indian Express initially reported that the supply of spurious seeds has been rampant in the Andhra Pradesh state. Licenses of seed suppliers were reportedly suspended or revoked following unspecified incidents of the alleged supply of spurious seeds. Krishijagran reported that the seeds in question were for genetically-engineered herbicide-tollerant cotton. The report named the companies in question: one company’s license was cancelled, while 13 other licenses were suspended for a year. Indian cotton prices to surge as production dips to nine-year low: Reuters is reporting that cotton prices in India are expected to jump by 80% year on year due to plummeting output as a result of dry conditions in key production areas. The supply shortage may result in the country needing to import 2.7 million bales in the 2018/2019 marketing year. In related news, private and public stakeholders in February were pushing for further increases to government-subsidized Minimum Support Prices for the staple commodity due to rising production costs, reports Cogenics. Indian cotton seed association to launch mobile app: The Cotton Association of India announced that it plans to launch a smartphone app for traders. According to Fibre2Fashion.com, the app, which would initially be available for Android platforms,  will provide cotton traders with fresh market data, as well as BSE and MCX stock exchange info, exchange rates and future prices. The app would eventually be made available for iphone platform. India may slash tariffs on corn imports to meet quota: Reuters Africa reports that the Indian govt backed MMTC Ltd was looking to import corn in anticipation of reduced output this season. Corn is usually subject to 60 per cent tariff, but the Indian law allows for the tariff to be reduced or waived for a specified quota. Reasons cited for reduced output include below-normal rain infestations of the fall armyworm. Multiplication farmers claim paddy seeds infertile: About 20 rice farmers controlling 200 acres claim that the seeds they were contracted to multiply did not produce fertile plants after 150 days of planting. The Times of India reports on the incident that affected seed multiplication contracts in Tamil Nadu’s Kolinchivadi, Thalakkarai, Nanjiyampalayam, Veerachimangalam, Kulathupalayam, Kattur and Dharapuram. An investigation has been launched. Harvest poor in Chennai for poor farmers: A lack of rain early in the year in parts of southeast India caused many paddy farmers to be less enthusiastic leading up to the annual rice harvest festival, Pongal. According to the New Indian Express, cultivation has averaged less than 50% and falling rice prices are also causing worry for some farmers. Punjab gets ag skill center: The Punjab Agricultural University has opened its first skills center dedicated to agriculture. The new center, inaugurated in January, is enrolling people between the ages of 22 and 40 to acquire skills for 15 job roles approved by the Agriculture Skill Council of India, reports the Times of India.    Extension for agricultural entrepreneurship in Srinagar: 27 young farmers in Kashmir attended a six-day workshop in January for horticulture technology transfer. Implemented by the Department of Agriculture Kashmir, the activity was held at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and sponsored by the National Horticulture Board.  The training focused on “nursery management in fruit crops, commercial nursery production in vegetable crops, commercial seed production in vegetable and flowers, production and marketing of ICAR-IIHR bio-pesticides, handling and training on mushroom cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing of horticulture crops and also farm mechanization in horticulture crops.”  Little Indian mouse pest discovered in high-altitude area: Scientists have confirmed the presence of the Mus booduga field mouse in the high-altitude region of Ladakh, where it poses a threat to granaries and crops. The discovery was confirmed through a study of local pests by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, reports The Telegraph India. Farmers lock up stray cattle in local schools to protect crops: Farmers in Mahawad, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Agra and Noida are in distress due to menace-cattle posing threat to their crops. The Times of India reports of one case where farmers locked up nearly 100 cows in primary schools, in which local police intervened by freeing the cows and relocating them  to cattle shelter. Farmers chase away elephants with firebombs: The Independent reports of an incident captured in photographs and video that show a mob of villagers chasing away a mother elephant and her calf that had wandered onto farmland. The incident reportedly took place near the village of Bishnupur in West Bengal. Smart and sustainable smog solutions for Delhi: Mongabay India proposes a number of eco-friendly solutions to address smog problem in Delhi. According to the report, Delhi’s smog problem is linked to the burning of millions of tonnes of crop stubble in the winter. To address this, the article underlines promising alternatives to burning crops, including the production of biofuels, compost, fabrics and textiles. Hail unseasonable winter rain threaten crops in north, northwest: In early February, heavy rains and hail reportedly caused agriculture havoc and concern in Dwarka, Noida, Faridabad, Punjab and Haryana, reports the Mumbai Mirror. The Indian Express also carried a report about the unseasonable weather causing similar concern among some farmers in Gujarat.  Web-based micro irrigation management platform developed: A team from the Water Technology Centre of Indian Agricultural Research Centre, New Delhi, have developed an online platform and database to assist in the roll-out of micro-irrigation systems across India. The new system is called DOMIS, which stands for Design of Micro-irrigation System, and features an interactive graphical interface to help determine appropriate layout plans for pipes and estimating water requirements for specific fields and crops, reports Down To Earth. Return to top [/expand]

Southeast Asia

[expand title="Vietnam"] Making millions from melons: By implementing precise resource and environmental controls in a tropical greenhouse environment, one Vietnamese entrepreneur is reportedly able to generate an annual profit of 300 million VND, or about $13,000. Nongnghiep.vn reports on the progress of Mr. Pham Van Hai who in 2017 invested in melon greenhouses, in whicch he implements drip irrigation, and grows various varities of melon out of grow bags. One of his greenhouses, which span 830 sq. meters, can yield 2,000 melons per harvest, and due to the plants short growing cycle, can yield four to five harvests per year. Vietnam Ag extension triumphs in 2018: The Danviet website has reported positive results from Vietnam’s National Agricultural Extension Center, which implimented 28 agricultural extension projects in the past year to facilitate increase in productivity and efficiency. Among the projects was one for F1 hybrid rice seed production which helped farmers to reduce the number of seeds they need to sow. The project, in Vinh Long, was also reported on by Nongnghiep website.  Other projects focused on fruit, herbs and vegetables. Seed bombs for reforestation of national park:  Due to extremely dry conditions in the Nui Chua National Park in Ninh Thuan province Vietnam, natural regeneration of forests is difficult, as young seedlings tend to wither without sufficient moisture. To address this, officials have adopted seed bombs, which are handmade of clay, fertilizer, some water and a seed in the middle. Vegetable price, seed imports spike ahead of Lunar New Year: Some 2.18 tons of vegetable seeds were imported in anticipation of the 2018-2019 Tet New Year. Vietnam Biz reported that the market for the festival period represents about  664,000 tons, including onions, potatoes, radish, carrots, green onions, tomatoes and kohlrabi, which were cultivated on some 21,530 hectares. Vietnamese rice output in 2019 optimistic: China.org.cn reports that Vietnam is planning to export up to 7 million tonnes of rice this year. Citing Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in February, the report forecasts paddy production this year in the Southeast Asian country to reach 43.5 million tonnes, with planting area spanning 7.5mn hectares. Resilient Vietnamese rice varieties demonstrated: 19 promising rice varieties developed by local companies and institutes were demonstrated at an experimental farm in the An Phong division of Thanh Binh district. According to Xaluan.com, some of the varieties can yield up go 7.5 tonnes per hectare, and require only 70 to 90kg / ha. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Philippines"] Philippines tarification bill threatens imported hybrid rice seeds: Hybrid rice seeds, which have reportedly enabled Filipino rice farmers to double productivity from 4 metric tonnes to eight metric tonnes per hectare, may be imposed with new tariffs of between 35 and 50% if a newly proposed bill becomes law, which could prove devastating for the industry, reports the Manila Bulletin. In related news, the Phnom Penh Post reports that the Philippines is expected to see the biggest import volume of rice imports this year at four million tonnes. The article cites the passage of the rice import liberalization bill. Boosting garlic productivity in the Philippines: Japanese firm, Takara Inc. is actively supporting efforts in the Philippine’s Ilocos Norte province to revitalize the local garlic industry. The company recently donated a garlic processing machine to Mariano Marcos State University, reports Page One Philippines. The company is advising the province on how to double productivity, which is currently at about 3.5 tons per hectare. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Indonesia"] Record grain import demand in Indonesia: According to a GIEWS Country Brief Indonesia, published by the FAO in February, Indonesia is expected to import a record amount of cereal grain in the 2018/2019 marketing year that begins in April and ends in March. The report pegs the demand for imported cereal at 13.1 million tonnes, which is about 7% above the five-year average. Most of this, or about 10.2mn tonnes is expected to be wheat, which would represent 13% higher-than-average demand. Rice imports are expected to be about 2.2mn tonnes, while maize imports are forecast at only 600,000 tonnes, a figure which is 70% below average demand.    Govt infrastructure reinforcement to raise irrigated paddy: The Indonesian government is planning to raise the percentage of irrigated paddy from 11% to 20% through the construction of 58 dams. Currently the irrigated paddy crops cover about 780,000 hectares, reports Vietnam Plus. Infrastructure investments are also focused on 1558,000 km of roads, 6,900 markets and  1 million meters of bridges. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Malaysia and Singapore"] Hindu paddy farmers in Malaysia celebrate rice harvest festival: The Tamil community in Malaysia continue to celebrate their annual rice harvest festival and thanksgiving through the Ponggal festival, which was marked in January, reports the Malay Mail. PA holds the solutions to Malaysia’s agriculture challenges: Precision Technology, Internet-of-Things and biotechnology are needed to excel Malaysian agriculture, advocates editorials published in Open Gov Asia and Digital News Asia websites. Facebook-inspired Singapore banker banking on vertical farming: Benjamin Swan was a banker in Singapore, but now has turned to growing fruits and vegetables in buildings, which stands to make him millions, reports Cafef. The idea came after reading an article on Facebook, and then consulting with Professor You and Dr. Goo (Youtube and Google).   Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Cambodia"] Cambodia govt teams up with IRRI for national seed strategy: The Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the International Rice Research Institute have presented a national seed strategy, reports the Khmer Times. The strategy, which proposes to establish specific regulatory bodies for producing, distributing and screening for quality rice seeds, also envisions the creation of capacity-building and training programs. BASF opens Cambodia office: Leading agriculture chemical company BASF in January inaugurated BSF (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., which is the German-headquartered firm’s first wholly-owned company in the Southeast Asian country.  BASF products have been available to Cambodian farmers through distributors since 2014. From its new Cambodian base, the company will initially launch three rice protection products, including two herbicides (Tetris and Basagran) and one incesticide (Regent 50 SC). According to an interview with BASF’s business director for ASEAN, the company will initially focus on yield-increasing solutions for the rice segment, and has plans to expand to other key crops in the near future. BASF has active business in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and China. German entity promotes farmers crop insurance education: The German Corporation for International Cooperation in January held a workshop to raise awareness amongst Cambodian farmers about the importance of crop insurance. The Phnom Penh Post reported on the news, citing a lack of understanding about the importance of crop insurance and concerted efforts by the Cambodian government to promote crop protection initiatives. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Thailand and Laos"] Draft Rice Act faces resistance in Thailand: A new rice bill under consideration by Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has been the subject of mounting criticism from industry reps, academics and media. The Act would require all paddy varieties sold in the market to be registered with the Rice Department and would impose fine and/or prison penalties for the trade of unregistered varieties. Though the act intends to standardize and improve rice quality in the market, subjects quoted in a Bangkok Post report fear that it would hinder rice variety development. According to the Chiang Rai Times, the act would mandate for rice mills to issue paddy-purchase papers that specify the rice variety, weight, moisture content and other quality indicators. Failure to comply could carry THB100,000 fine and up to a year in prison. Following wide circulation of criticism in the media, the National Legislative Assembly decided to postpone its third deliberation of the draft pending further input from concerned stakeholders, reports The Nation. Strawberries are niche crop for farm in Lao district. Coffee may have a new contender for iconic premium Lao crops. The Borneo Bulletin reports on the Yamamoto Strawberry Farm in Pakxong district of Champassak. The farm was set up by a Japanese national in 2012 with an initial harvest of 400kg. This grew to four tonnes but he can’t grow enough to meet local demand. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="Myanmar"] Myanmar NPPO liberalizes PRA requirements for 81 types of seed:  The Plant Protection Division (PPD), which is Myanmar's National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) in February published a document entitled "Allowed import plants and plant products that do not need data information for Pest Risk Analysis (PRA)". The document lists various agriculture products that the country has effectively liberalized for import from "any country". Among the products listed are 81 types of sowing seeds, seedlings or bulbs, including most commercially popular types of vegetable, ornamental, forage and field crops. In the section for seeds,  exceptions are noted for tuber seed potato, which will still require PRAs unless the seed comes from Argentina, Australia, India, Korea, Netherlands or USA. Also, all exporting countries must still provide a PRA for Lily bulb (for planting), with the Netherlands being the sole exception.  Tissue culture banana cultivation in Kachin state: Some landowners in Myanmar’s Kachin state are allegedly being displaced, and their land forcefully seized from them by investors in banana plantations, reports Frontier Myanmar.  The bananas plants are reportedly cloned in tissue culture labs, and the bananas are traded mostly to China.  Fall armyworm confirmed in Myanmar: The much-feared pest that originated in South America has now been confirmed to have infested maize fields in the Ayeyarwady Region, Shan State, Mandalay Region and Nay Pyi Taw. The Myanmar Times reports that the Agriculture Department had destroyed 4,046 hectares of infested fields in Ayeyarwady. The moths of the worm can fly up to 100 kilometers in one night and is poses an increasing threat to crops throughout the region. Micro loans for Myanmar farmers: Proximity Designs serves about 200,000 clients in Myanmar with farming advice, custom-designed irrigation products and loans for crops , livestock and migration, reports Reuters. Return to top [/expand]

Oceania

[expand title="Australia"] Record profit grain harvest in Western Australia: ABC Australia reports that Western Australia in 2018 harvested 17.9 million tonnes of grain, worth AU$7 billion. Citing a report from the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia, the state produced about 10 million tonnes of wheat, 5.1 million tonnes of barley, 1.4mn t of canola, 600,000 t of lupins and 500,000 t of oats. The harvest was the second highest in the states history in terms of quantity, following 18.2mn t harvest in 2016. Cereal output in other states, however, have been below average, reports Grain Central. Meanwhile, forecasts for sorghum output in NSW and southern Queensland have been mixed, with Grain Central estimating a below-average harvest at 1.2mn tonnes in the latter, and 500,000 t in the former.  According to Xinhua, citing ABARES figures, grain production in the country declined by 20% in 2018, mainly due to drought conditions in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Up to half a million cattle succumb to record rainfall in northern Queensland: AgWeb.com cites reports that between 300,000 and 500,000 cattle may have been lost to flooding induced by record rainfall in eastern Australian state. The area affected is massive, spanning more than 13 million hectares. Leading pasture seed company opens new HQ: Seed Force, a Victoria based seed distribution company has opened a new national headquarters in Shepparton. The new facility, which is valued at AU$4 million, comprises, offices, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, including seed coating and treatment machinery, among others, reports the Queensland Country Life website. Insecticide resistance management plans urged by industry: Australia’s National Insecticide Resistance Management group is pushing its recently developed Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm) resistance management strategy in northern cropping region. The pest has reportedly already evolved with some level of resistance to at least three chemical groups. The strategy has had input and consideration from both the public and private sectors, reports Mirage News. Return to top [/expand] [expand title="New Zealand"] Suburban fruit, vegetable movement halted in wake of fruit fly detection: NPPO Biosecurity New Zealand  has established a legal “Controlled Area” in the Auckland suburban area covering Devonport, Cheltenham and part of Stanley Point, where there is a possible incursion of the devastating pest. Following a detection of the Queensland fruit fly in Devonport in February, dozens of phytosanitary officers were deployed, fruit fly traps were set up in a 1.5km radius, while the movement of all whole fruits and vegetables from the zone were halted. The pest been discovered in the country six times in the past, and backed with a budget of NZ$13.6 million, the NPPO eradicated the threat in 2015, reports the New Zealand Herald. Just a week after the initial detection, another type of fruit fly (Bactrocera facialis) was spotted in the Auckland suburb of Otara, reports Radio New Zealand. Sale of ‘Largest NZ Seed Company’ to Danish firm clears hurdles: New Zealand’s and Australia’s Commerce Commissions will not object to the sell of New Zealand’s PGG Wrightson’s seeds business to Danish company, DLF Seeds for $NZ 434 million. The latest approval was reported by Sheep Central.   The transaction, which was announced last August, has received opposition by the New Zealand’s Shareholders’ Association, reports The New Zealand Herald, citing the expected downsizing of the Kiwi company, which currently employs about 2,100 in New Zealand, and in parts of Australia and South America. According to other reports, the deal still needs to clear “New Zealand Overseas Investment Act, change of control consents from certain PGW (CRRT) Seeds joint venture partners, and the completion of required regulatory filings in Uruguay”. Project looks to establish Hawkes Bay as kiwifruit, wine hub: A project funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand will study the viability of growing kiwifruit, grapes and nuts on a large scale to reinforce the wine industry. The New Zealand Herald reports on the project, one of 31 funded by the MPI’s Sustainable Farming Fund, which will take into consideration climate, soil, water and finances to determine viability factors. Bee farmers flooding NZ honey market: Beehives in Hawke’s Bay are overstocked, reports Newstalk ZB website, who cites a farmer saying he is losing 30 to 40 % of his crop as a result of an influx of new players looking to cash in on producing NZ style honey.  Return to top [/expand]

Inter-regional

[expand title="multiple countries"] UNDP Announces 2019 Seed Awards application deadline: Up to 66 prize packages will be awarded to innovative enterprises from several developing countries in Asia and Africa. The criteria for applicants is to be “locally-driven early-stage enterprises, that leverage their innovative business solutions to solve social and environmental challenges.” Qualifying countries include  Thailand, Indonesia, India, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to the United Nations Development Program, the packages include “nclude, six months to one year of tailored capacity-building support with expert advice; profiling nationally and internationally; facilitation of networking with valuable contacts; a dedicated business model replication support; and matching financial grants up to 20,000 Euros.”. Application can be made now until the deadline of April 2. Pioneer Seeds Australia ships 30,000 tonnes of non-GM corn to Korean miller: South Korea’s largest dry miller of human-consumption grit corn is procuring large shipments of large-kernel, non-GM corn grown in Australia’s Ord region. The latest shipments early this year are part of a consignment amounting to 30,000 t reports Grain Central. To meet the demand, Pioneer Seeds Australia consulted with agronomy experts for its growers to more than double yields from its usual 6 to 12 tonnes per hectare. Corteva planning ‘broad’ rollout of GM soybean, maize seeds in North America, Brazil: Following China’s recent approval of several GM-crops for import, Corteva Agriscience announced plans to start marketing its herbicide-tolerant Enlist E3 soybean seeds in Brazil, Canada and the US. However, a broad roll-out of the seeds may be delayed until 2020, pending regulatory delays in the Philippines, which is another key market for soy based feed meal. According to a report on Agriculture.com, Corteva also plans to launch its insect-resistant and herbicide tolerant Qrome corn seeds in the US corn belt. India-Myanmar trade and business blossoming: The growing importance of bilateral ties was underlined at a Myanmar-India Business Summit & Traid Fair, held in January in Myanmar’s Sagaing. The meeting was attended by delegates from both countries doing business in various sectors, especially agriculture and horticulture. It was revealed that bilateral trade between the two countries ammounted to US$1.6 billion in 2017 and 2018, and both governments are working closely to improve cross-border and port connectivity, reports Mizzima.   EU sanctions on indica rice from Myanmar and Cambodia: In January, the European Commission made a decision to start imposing tariffs on long-grain rice from the two Southeast Asian countries, which, since 2010 had enjoyed duty-free export of the staple commodity to the EU. The decision was made in light of claims that the duty-free benefit -- possible as part of a scheme to promote trade with developing countries -- had negatively affected EU rice production. SEA-Globe reports that imports of rice from the two SE Asian countries surged to 360,000 tonnes in 2017 from only 9,000 t in 2012. Initial tariffs will be levied at a rate of $200 per tonne, the same rate that Thailand and Vietnam pay to export white rice to the EU. Eleven Myanmar reports that Myanmar rice production will also be impacted by declining demand in China linked to government crackdown on border trade. Sri Lanka signs IRRI self-sufficiency rice deal in Philippines. During an unprecedented state visit to the Philippines in January, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena signed a five-year action plan with the International Rice Research Institute aiming to make the South Asian country self-sufficient in rice production. The president also met with Asian Development Bank who expressed willingness to provide US$ 465 million in loans to fund related projects in Sri Lanka.  Moreover, President Maithripala, met with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. The meeting saw the heads of state sign five memorandums of understanding, two of which are directly related to agriculture: a MoU on cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and related fields; and an MoU between the University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Sri Lanka Council for Agriculture Research Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development. Uzbek govt and Indian seed company partner to create seed production cluster: Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Innovative Development and Agriculture have entered into an agreement with Maharashtra-India-based seed company, Nath Bio-Gens to establish a seed production and research cluster in Andijan. Under the public-private partnership agreement, land will be provided in Uzbekistan for the project, while Nath Bio-Gens will provide technology and expertise to produce GM and hybrid seeds, including cotton, wheat, tomato, potato, peanuts and vegetables, according to the Ministry’s website. The project is part of a larger agro agro cluster to occupy 15,000 to 20,000 hectares, which was announced following Gujarat Global Summit earlier in January. The bilateral cooperation will focus not only on agriculture but pharmaceuticals. Afghan pine nut exports to China on up: Afghanistan has imported some 1,300 tons of pine nuts to China in the past few months thanks to the inauguration on November 6, 2018 of the Afghan-China air corridor. According to an interview by Xinjua News with Yahya Khan Zadran, President of the Afghanistan Pine Nuts Union,the Afghanistan government hopes to earn up to US$800 million annually by exporting the pine tree nuts or seeds to China. The article states that there are 40 registered small and medium sized pine nut trading companies in Afghanistan, where pine nuts are primarily grown in the eastern part of the country by more than 50,000 farmers. Western seed catalogs offering new, rare Asian varieties: A popular gardening column published by Massachusetts USA-based newspaper The Dedham Transcript reveals that a number of new and rare Chinese, Japanese and Korean vegetable and legume varieties are listed in some popular seed catalogues. Among them is the Chinese Python Snake Bean, a cultivar of the snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) being offered by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds that can reportedly grow up to 60 inches or 150 centimeters long. Also offered in the latest Baker Creek catalogue are cultivars of the Urizun Japanese winged bean, Yamato extra long cucumber, and a Chinese light green noodle bean.  Moreover, Territorial Seed Company is among several offering the award-winning SilverWave exotic hybrid melon from South Korea. From Cars to Crops: Toyota partners with Israeli firm to decode strawberry genome: Japanese carmaker Toyota teamed up with Israeli algorithm mapping startup, NRGene in jointly decoding the genome of a leading commercial variety of strawberry, reports the Times of Israel. The strawberry’s genome has eight copies of every gene, compared to only two for humans’. The article also mentions plans by NRGene to team up with Syngenta for genomics analysis on a wide range of crops Taiwanese expertise for improved avocado production in Honduras: Fresh Plaza reports on a Memorandum of Understanding signed recently between the Deputy Director of Technology generation in Honduras, Jose Crozier, the Director of the Technical Mission of the Republic of Taiwan, Shyh-Shiun, and the President of the Organization, Mrs. Linda Coello. The MoU is the basis of a project that will provide support to 180 family farmers to cultivate avocados on 60 hectares of land over three years. Kaohsiung and Malaysia ink MoU for fresh produce supply: Fresh Plaza reports on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between Kaohsiung Mayor, Han Kuo-yu, and Ebby Loo, Managing Director of Malaysian produce importer, Euro-Atlantic. The MoU was inked to “... enhance bilateral relations between Kaohsiung and Malaysia, and promote Kaohsiung’s agricultural produce to the Malaysian community.” Return to top [/expand]