Not excessively much to share this update. And less so on regional rice issues.
The main news on the globe's hybrid news is an issue which touches on hybrid rice currently but certainly is setting the scene for the future of hybridisation and development of GMO's.
Wired.com (Feb. 18) has an article on this proposed takeover.
While hybrid rice was hailed as the forefront of the new green revolution, the reality has been that the returns (to farmers and consumers) are few and far between.
But not to worry, the second green revolution has yet again finally arrived. Genome sequencing technology is apparently all the rage. The Bangkok Post (Feb. 15) has an article pinning on revolutionary hopes:
The main news on the globe's hybrid news is an issue which touches on hybrid rice currently but certainly is setting the scene for the future of hybridisation and development of GMO's.
The issue is of course China's ChemChina intent to purchase
Syngenta for a substantial sum, one shareholders can not refuse apparently.
Syngenta itself has hedged a bet on hybrid rice (Devgen) and is also known for promoting seed coating chemicals in combination with hybrid rice (source).
Oddly, Syngenta is at the heart of a trade dispute with China as for 3 years large imports to China of GM corn were undertaken without the granting of a no objection of the GM source (source). Which ultimately meant that this trade fell away for US farmers.
Not quite unsurprisingly, there's now even a counter bid (lead by Monsanto), as the U.S. don't feel comfortable with selling of technologies to China ... (source).
Syngenta itself has hedged a bet on hybrid rice (Devgen) and is also known for promoting seed coating chemicals in combination with hybrid rice (source).
Oddly, Syngenta is at the heart of a trade dispute with China as for 3 years large imports to China of GM corn were undertaken without the granting of a no objection of the GM source (source). Which ultimately meant that this trade fell away for US farmers.
Not quite unsurprisingly, there's now even a counter bid (lead by Monsanto), as the U.S. don't feel comfortable with selling of technologies to China ... (source).
Wired.com (Feb. 18) has an article on this proposed takeover.
Let's continue in this vein.'Food security is a national obsession [for China] —so it only seemed natural when, earlier this month, state-owned ChemChina announced its bid to buy the pesticide- and seed-producing giant Syngenta, in what is likely to be the biggest acquisition in the country’s history. Technology, the Party seemed to say, and especially genetically modified crops, are the key to a sustainable future.There’s just one problem: Most Chinese hate GMOs....And while China will bar Syngenta from bringing GM crops to market in the country, the company will very quickly be able to sell things like hybrid rice strains'.
While hybrid rice was hailed as the forefront of the new green revolution, the reality has been that the returns (to farmers and consumers) are few and far between.
But not to worry, the second green revolution has yet again finally arrived. Genome sequencing technology is apparently all the rage. The Bangkok Post (Feb. 15) has an article pinning on revolutionary hopes:
'With the huge pool of data unlocked, rice breeders will soon be able to produce higher-yielding varieties much more quickly and under increasingly stressful conditions, scientists involved with the project told AFP.Other potential new varieties being dreamt about are ones that are resistant to certain pests and diseases, or types that pack more nutrients and vitamins'.
Now,
there are only marginal gains to be made by this. These gains are mostly in the
conventional breeding such that it may enable breeders to breed
varieties more adaptable to changing climate conditions and / or
variations in disease control.
But it's certainly far from the hailed second green revolution and has little to offer in terms of food security where government controlled storage is the best option to maintain market control.
Then let's finalise the rice news with this.
Bangkok Post (Feb. 1) mentions how rice prices going down are a ticking time bomb. Basically it's part of an act to scandalise the previous democratic government as it's rice pledging scheme failed to add up. But nowhere near a ticking time-bomb. Pity this comparison.
Granted
Then it's time to look at the other crops of Cambodia section.
But it's certainly far from the hailed second green revolution and has little to offer in terms of food security where government controlled storage is the best option to maintain market control.
Then let's finalise the rice news with this.
Bangkok Post (Feb. 1) mentions how rice prices going down are a ticking time bomb. Basically it's part of an act to scandalise the previous democratic government as it's rice pledging scheme failed to add up. But nowhere near a ticking time-bomb. Pity this comparison.
Granted
Then it's time to look at the other crops of Cambodia section.
Pepper retains it's allure to farmers and things are looking good with crop section development and cooperation. This by Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 20):
'The European Union has officially entered the name “Kampot pepper” into its register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indicators, the EU’s official gazette reported this week'.
Odd
news from the Cambodian sugar front.
After past large scale efforts to set up an industry with export sights set on Europe turned sour, an inauguration will take place of a new project. This time backed by Chinese investment and focusing on ... exporting to the EU.
So reports the Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 4). The supposedly massive project has also more similarities with prior efforts to set up a Cambodian sugar industry:
After past large scale efforts to set up an industry with export sights set on Europe turned sour, an inauguration will take place of a new project. This time backed by Chinese investment and focusing on ... exporting to the EU.
So reports the Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 4). The supposedly massive project has also more similarities with prior efforts to set up a Cambodian sugar industry:
'The government granted Rui Feng a 8841-hectare ELC in 2011 for the cultivation of sugarcane, rubber and acacia. The total land area was subsequently trimmed by about 1,000 hectares in an effort to settle disputes with those living on the land.The company has faced ongoing protests from villagers and indigenous hill tribes, who accuse it of land-grabbing.The adjacent ELCs are owned by Rui Feng’s sister companies, Lan Feng, Heng You, Heng Rui and Heng Nong. Collectively the Chinese-owned companies hold five separate ELC licenses covering a total of 40,000 hectares, effectively circumventing legislation that prohibits a single company from holding more than 10,000 hectares'.
Despite open markets all the rage and tariffs going to zero, it's especially non-tariffs that are making trading difficult. The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 20) remarks this on cassava:
'... Thai authorities have replaced tariffs with a raft of non-tariff barriers aimed at stemming the flow of Cambodian-grown cassava across the border by notching up its shipping costs to discourage trade. In recent months, Thai border officials have shown a conspicuous zeal in enforcing weight restrictions on cassava-laden trucks.....Thai border officials have honed in on another obscure regulation, measuring the quality and moisture content of the cassava cargo'.
