Facts about Manuka Honey

The claim: A medical-grade version of this honey is used in sterile wrappings. As with most honeys it has hydrogen peroxide, which gives it its antibiotic qualities. It also has methylglyoxal, an antibacterial component, in much higher quantities than found in other honeys. Studies have suggested that manuka honey might help to ease symptoms of infections such as coughs, but it’s not clear whether the honey is having an antimicrobial effect or whether it is just soothing like all syrups.

Mellor’s verdict: Any of the claims for eating manuka honey, all of which have been rejected by regulators, are vague. Any health benefits must be balanced against the very high quantities of sugar compared with the very small amounts of these proposed active compounds.

Source

Facts about Apple Cider Vinegar

The claim: Doubtless a tasty condiment, but has been anecdotally linked with an eye-wateringly long list of potential health benefits in areas including: digestive disorders, sore throats, high cholesterol, indigestion, preventing cancer, dandruff, acne, energy boosting, cramps, and helping with blood sugar control. The EFSA, however, hasn’t approved any of these claims. Many of the studies have been on animals or in laboratories using human cells.

Mellor’s verdict: Vinegar is probably best kept as a condiment. Use it on salads instead of high calorie oils and mayonnaise and to add flavour to sauces to help reduce salt intake – it might help, not because of anything it contains, but because it would be replacing less-healthy foods.

Source

The truth about ‘miracle foods’ – from chia seeds to coconut oil

As books that give answers go, there’s one classic that often gets overlooked – the dictionary. So next time you’re wondering whether a £10 tub of the latest miracle food can really stave off cancer, diabetes and heart disease, and get rid of a podgy belly in time for summer, run your finger down to the word “miracle” where you will find this definition: “an extraordinary and wondrous event” – so far so good – “that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws”.

“Whether it’s coconut oil, chia seeds or apple cider vinegar,” says Duane Mellor, an assistant professor in dietetics at the University of Nottingham and a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, “there is no scientific evidence to suggest that if you top up your diet with any ‘miracle’ or special food that you’ll get any of the promised effects. The idea is almost entirely a marketing vehicle, but when people read claims online, they start to think differently and can start believing it.” One of the reasons people might believe the hype is because as with any good miracle – or magic trick – the success lies in smoke and mirrors. With miracle foods, while the magical health food salesman is conjuring a few extra coins out of our pockets, we’re left bamboozled by scientific terminology.

“Many products tend to be accompanied by all sorts of horrendous scientific jargon, like ‘maintains cognitive function’,” says Mellor, “which are watery, scientific-style claims that people tend to read as being something meaningful to human health. Then there’s antioxidants and free radicals, which are some of the most feared and misunderstood words used.”

Free radicals are unstable elements that come spinning off any oxygen-using chemical reaction in the body. They are unstable because they are missing an electron and, in a bid to restabilise themselves, they steal an electron from elsewhere. This could be from the fats in cell membranes or from your DNA. The damage they do when bullying other elements into handing over an electron is called oxidative stress, and this can be associated with heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Free radicals, however, are also involved in beneficial processes. They help to destroy invading bacteria and play a part in cell communication. To limit their role to only those things that benefit us, our bodies make things called antioxidants that, much like people standing outside nightclubs handing out hugs and hot chocolate to pacify drunken revellers, provide free radicals with the electrons they need so they don’t cause damage elsewhere.

“But if you look at the antioxidants circulating in our bodies,” says Mellor, “by far the most common are the ones we make ourselves – glutathione and uric acid – followed by vitamins A, C and E, which we get from normal food anyway. Many of the antioxidants in things like chia seeds are there to stop the plant oils going rancid, or to protect them from sunlight damage, and may not be that available to our bodies anyway. So although the EFSA [European Food Safety Authority] allows manufacturers to claim that their products are rich in antioxidants – because they are – manufacturers are not allowed to claim any health benefits. If you look carefully, it’s sort of legalese what they end up claiming.”

Even when used as supplements, antioxidants don’t seem to provide any benefit. A large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed nearly 10,000 people over an average of four-and-a-half years showed no benefit from vitamin E supplements in the prevention of heart disease. Studies for other antioxidant supplements have been equally discouraging.

Part of this confusion is because diet is complex. It’s tough to tease apart the contribution of individual components because the nutrients in many foods become available to us only when eaten as part of a wider diet: studies have shown that only when we cook carrots can their beta-carotene become more available and; the lycopene in tomatoes is most readily available when they are eaten with oil.

But what about all the other vague claims about foods that can help you lose weight, or support a healthy immune function, or lead to a healthy heart? They all sound good and sort of make sense, don’t they? According to Ali Khavandi, a cardiologist at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, these claims are vague for a reason – they are based on experiments carried out on animals or on human cells in a lab. They have not been shown to have any effect on people, and until such effectiveness is shown, he says, we should stay open-minded but cautious about exaggerated claims.

“As doctors I think we’ve taken our eyes off the prize,” he says of the importance of a healthy diet in avoiding the major chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. “For the past few years, at least for heart doctors, I think we’ve been more interested in the sexier side of preventing disease – new drugs, stents, and operation techniques – and we’ve left the diet arena a little unmanned. It’s now been populated by unqualified people and celebrity health gurus spreading misinformation. As doctors I think we have an obligation to reassert an authoritative voice when it comes to healthy eating.”

Yanking the spotlight back from celebrities and fad food products might be a difficult task. “The problem,” says Khavandi, “is that the message we try to get across – which is based on proper, robust evidence that has been shown time and time again – is not very interesting to people. They have heard it all before.”

The messages he is talking about include the fact that fruit and vegetables are good for you. As are wholegrain cereals and nuts. For fats, which you need, choose unsaturated fats such as olive oil and those directly taken from marine sources such as oily fish. Neutral foods, he says, are saturated fats like butter or coconut oil and unprocessed red meats – eat these in moderation and they’re unlikely to do any harm. Stay away from excess white-flour products, processed meats, and trans fats such as vegetable oils and palm oils found in fast foods.

Simple enough advice on the face of it, but with sensationalised articles emerging daily about the benefits or dangers of specific foods, people get confused and lose sight of the simple messages. A complication nowhere more true than with cancer.

“There is certainly no such thing as an anti-cancer diet,” says Justin Stebbing, a consultant oncologist and professor of cancer medicine and oncology at Imperial College London. “But I have patients asking me things about these foods all the time.” He puts a finger on why cancer-busting food is such an appealing concept. “As a patient, disease makes you lose control. People immediately want to regain that control and a very easy way for them to do that is by diet, and they can get all sorts of things off the internet. We should understand that the internet is a double-edged sword and if we’re looking for information we should go to reputable sites.”

Such sites, says Stebbing, are NHS Choices, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation, which all give clear, evidence-based dietary recommendations. Duane Mellor has another simple rule of thumb for distinguishing cherrypicked claims from bona fide scientific evidence. “The EFSA is very clear – and very strict – about what health messages it allows companies to use in the marketing,” he says.

“If you see a claim on a blog, and if it’s persuasive and looks good, ask yourself why has the company not used it in their marketing? If the product really did prevent cancer or heart disease, do you not think it’d be plastered all over the packaging?”

Source 

Bill Gates, Computerized Plant Breeding and Contending with Hunger

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research profile.

Bill Gates, once simply of Microsoft fame, is now as famous for his dedication to reducing hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa and other goals that drive the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  He recently visited Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research Unit in Ithaca, NY, to learn what two geneticists are doing to improve crop breeding decisions that could be used in that part of the world.

At the research unit, ARS geneticist Edward Buckler is turning the encyclopedic amount of genetic information he has developed about corn into helping the crop yield the kind of improvements in Africa that have been made in North America. Varieties bred for North American climates simply do not work in Africa where they currently produce only about one-fifth the harvest they do in this country. Millions of hungry and extremely poor people can’t afford the hundred years it would take for conventional breeding that was once the path taken in the United States.

But today, Buckler can pinpoint the exact genes that control a trait like resistance to a disease or drought tolerance, so there is no need to grow a generation of offspring out and test them before selecting parents for the next generation. With this knowledge and genetic selection tools that Jannink has created, the time to develop a precise new corn variety may be cut from 15 years to as little as 5 years.

Buckler and his team have already succeeded by finding genes within the corn genome for higher levels of carotenoid (pro-vitamin A) to help solve vitamin A deficiencies that cause childhood blindness and immune problems in sub-Saharan Africa. From these key genes, breeders have developed corn varieties that naturally have 15 times more pro-Vitamin A.

ARS geneticist Jean-Luc Jannink is similarly spring boarding improvements in cassava, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s indispensable crops, using “genomic selection,” a statistical method combining genetic data with measurements of traits in a training population to predict the outcome of crossing two particular parent plants. Then he only makes the crosses that give offspring with the desired traits.

He and a team of graduate students collaborate with national cassava breeding programs of Nigeria, Uganda and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture. They do the DNA sequencing and the predictions in Ithaca. Then the programs in Africa do the crosses based on Jannink’s predictions side by side with their own crosses based on more conventional breeding. In another year or two, there should be enough progress to compare the methods.

After spending a few hours at the ARS lab, learning about faster plant breeding, Bill Gates wrote in his blog: “Ed Buckler and his colleagues aren’t just experts in their field—they’re also deeply passionate about their work. I can see why: The advances they’re working on will change people’s lives by dramatically accelerating a process that is now slow and laborious.”

Source

Iron ore, copper, silver, gold: reserves discovered in Punjab

Pakistan on Wednesday said it has discovered major reserves of iron ore as well as copper, silver and gold in Punjab. The reserves were found in Chiniot city in the Punjab, around 160 kilometres (around 100 miles) north-west of Lahore, by Chinese group the Metallurgical Co-operation of China. A senior provincial administrative official told AFP that initial estimates indicated 500 million tons of iron ore - a primary ingredient in steelmaking - had been discovered.

He said the Chinese company has expressed interest in setting up a steel mill on the site, adding that the extracted iron had been tested in Swiss and Canadian laboratories, which found 60-65 percent of it to be high grade. The official added that silver, copper and gold samples would also be sent for testing soon.

Speaking at the site on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the discovery could help Pakistan''s stuttering economy turn a corner and end its "begging bowl" culture. "It is Allah''s blessing that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the ''begging bowl'' for good," Sharif said.

Conflict, instability, corruption and a chronic energy shortage have hampered Pakistan''s economy for years. The IMF granted a $6.6-billion loan to Pakistan in September 2013 on the condition that it carry out extensive economic reforms, particularly in the energy and taxation sectors.

APP adds: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday greeted the nation on the discovery of good quality copper, iron and gold deposits, hoping the same would go a long way in bringing prosperity to the country. He was addressing a gathering here after getting a briefing on the discovery of iron ore deposits at Rajua, around three kilometers south of Chiniot.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Provincial Minister for Minerals Sher Ali, parliamentarians, representatives of Chinese Metallurgical Corporation and German consultants attended the event. In a detailed briefing by Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, and representatives of the Chinese Metallurgical Company and German consultants, the Prime Minister was informed that there were indications of large copper deposits.

It was suggested that there should be more focus on excavating copper as it has a much higher value in the international market as copper fetches 5000 dollars a tonne against 100 dollars a tonne for iron. The Prime Minister was informed that with the assistance of Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), a feasibility study had been completed in around nine-month time, whereas it was to be completed in 18 months.

Nawaz evinced keen interest and asked a number of questions about the type and quality of deposits. He said he was personally there to share the joy of moment and to share it with the entire nation. He was informed that studies were being conducted currently in 28 sq kms of area, and initial findings showed that there was high probability of presence of good quality deposits in around 2000 sq kms, particularly in south and south eastern parts of Chiniot city. He was shown through graphs and 3-D models the details of the deposits and informed that there was also probability of finding copper and gold deposits in the area.

The Prime Minister was informed that the MCC along with other international mineral exploration companies evinced desire to participate in the project and were declared successful. He lauded the expertise and hard work of the Pakistani metallurgical experts and scientists. He also lauded the German consultant firm GEOS for supervising the work.

Later addressing a select gathering, the Prime Minister said he wished to address a huge gathering of Chiniot people, but the plan was curtailed owing to security reasons. He said the operation Zarb-e-Azb was going ahead successfully under the National Action Plan and soon peace and tranquility would prevail. He said Pakistan was confronting a number of challenges, including terrorism, extremism and poverty, and lack of basic infrastructure and facilities was one of the basic reasons for them.

The Prime Minister said ruling Pakistan was not a "bed of roses", rather it was a big challenge and his government was braving all the issues with courage, zeal, dedication and a commitment to bring about a positive change in the country. He said it was time that the entire government machinery worked with sincerity, round the clock, to serve the masses. He said the government''s revenues had declined as the price of petroleum products dropped, but since the move was aimed at benefiting the masses, the government took the decision. Low prices of diesel, he said, would benefit the agriculture sector and lower prices of food items.

He said had the government enough funds, it would have worked on projects to provide 10,000MW electricity without any delay. However, a lack of funds was hampering government''s efforts. He said there was a need for transparency at all levels of governance.

Nawaz said lower fuel prices had led to decline in prices of everyday commodities. The government was committed to providing good quality health, education and communication facilities to the masses at their doorsteps, he added. He said talks with Iran for the acquisition of natural gas were at an advanced stage. Negotiations were also underway on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. He said," It is Allah''s blessings that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the "begging bowl" for good."

He said Pakistan is rich in natural resources and deposits of copper, gold, coal are available in other provinces as well, which will also be explored. He said the raw material available in the area was also attractive for investment and invited foreign and local investors to come and set up steel industry in Chiniot. He hoped that it would provide jobs to around 100,000 people and bring about economic prosperity in the area.

The past governments, he regretted, caused unnecessary delay in discovering the mineral deposits. He, however praised the present Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for expediting the work at a fast pace. He expressed the hope that Chiniot would emerge on the world map as a favourite spot for international investors. Necessary infrastructure would be built well in advance for provision of better facilities, he added. The Prime Minister expressed his pride on friendship with China and thanked Chinese and German experts for working together on the project to unearth the precious minerals.

He said the government was working on Pak-China economic corridor from Khunjerab to Gwadar which would ensure economical growth and prosperity, besides further strengthening ties between the two countries. He said the government would generate electricity from Thar coal reserves. Provision of electricity on economical prices besides its generation was the main agenda of government, he added.

The Prime Minister was informed that the quality of iron ore deposits was equivalent to similar ones in Brazil, Russia and India, and had been estimated in thousands of tons. Samples had been tested by top laboratories of Canada and Switzerland, which confirmed the high quality of deposits.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif termed the project a game-changer and said with Allah Almighty''s help the country had been endowed with a rich natural resource that would usher in an era of prosperity in the country. He said his government embarked on the project with full sincerity and commitment to find iron ore deposits, but the country was lucky to have found precious deposits of copper and gold.

He attributed the great find to the transparent award of contracts and sincerity of purpose and said the entire funding for the project had been provided by the Punjab government, under the guidance of the Prime Minister. Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, said in general copper deposits were discovered along with gold and suggested that the area of research be expanded and divided among different companies for excavation and production.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

Iron ore, copper, silver, gold: reserves discovered in Punjab

Pakistan on Wednesday said it has discovered major reserves of iron ore as well as copper, silver and gold in Punjab. The reserves were found in Chiniot city in the Punjab, around 160 kilometres (around 100 miles) north-west of Lahore, by Chinese group the Metallurgical Co-operation of China. A senior provincial administrative official told AFP that initial estimates indicated 500 million tons of iron ore - a primary ingredient in steelmaking - had been discovered.

He said the Chinese company has expressed interest in setting up a steel mill on the site, adding that the extracted iron had been tested in Swiss and Canadian laboratories, which found 60-65 percent of it to be high grade. The official added that silver, copper and gold samples would also be sent for testing soon.

Speaking at the site on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the discovery could help Pakistan''s stuttering economy turn a corner and end its "begging bowl" culture. "It is Allah''s blessing that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the ''begging bowl'' for good," Sharif said.

Conflict, instability, corruption and a chronic energy shortage have hampered Pakistan''s economy for years. The IMF granted a $6.6-billion loan to Pakistan in September 2013 on the condition that it carry out extensive economic reforms, particularly in the energy and taxation sectors.

APP adds: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday greeted the nation on the discovery of good quality copper, iron and gold deposits, hoping the same would go a long way in bringing prosperity to the country. He was addressing a gathering here after getting a briefing on the discovery of iron ore deposits at Rajua, around three kilometers south of Chiniot.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Provincial Minister for Minerals Sher Ali, parliamentarians, representatives of Chinese Metallurgical Corporation and German consultants attended the event. In a detailed briefing by Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, and representatives of the Chinese Metallurgical Company and German consultants, the Prime Minister was informed that there were indications of large copper deposits.

It was suggested that there should be more focus on excavating copper as it has a much higher value in the international market as copper fetches 5000 dollars a tonne against 100 dollars a tonne for iron. The Prime Minister was informed that with the assistance of Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), a feasibility study had been completed in around nine-month time, whereas it was to be completed in 18 months.

Nawaz evinced keen interest and asked a number of questions about the type and quality of deposits. He said he was personally there to share the joy of moment and to share it with the entire nation. He was informed that studies were being conducted currently in 28 sq kms of area, and initial findings showed that there was high probability of presence of good quality deposits in around 2000 sq kms, particularly in south and south eastern parts of Chiniot city. He was shown through graphs and 3-D models the details of the deposits and informed that there was also probability of finding copper and gold deposits in the area.

The Prime Minister was informed that the MCC along with other international mineral exploration companies evinced desire to participate in the project and were declared successful. He lauded the expertise and hard work of the Pakistani metallurgical experts and scientists. He also lauded the German consultant firm GEOS for supervising the work.

Later addressing a select gathering, the Prime Minister said he wished to address a huge gathering of Chiniot people, but the plan was curtailed owing to security reasons. He said the operation Zarb-e-Azb was going ahead successfully under the National Action Plan and soon peace and tranquility would prevail. He said Pakistan was confronting a number of challenges, including terrorism, extremism and poverty, and lack of basic infrastructure and facilities was one of the basic reasons for them.

The Prime Minister said ruling Pakistan was not a "bed of roses", rather it was a big challenge and his government was braving all the issues with courage, zeal, dedication and a commitment to bring about a positive change in the country. He said it was time that the entire government machinery worked with sincerity, round the clock, to serve the masses. He said the government''s revenues had declined as the price of petroleum products dropped, but since the move was aimed at benefiting the masses, the government took the decision. Low prices of diesel, he said, would benefit the agriculture sector and lower prices of food items.

He said had the government enough funds, it would have worked on projects to provide 10,000MW electricity without any delay. However, a lack of funds was hampering government''s efforts. He said there was a need for transparency at all levels of governance.

Nawaz said lower fuel prices had led to decline in prices of everyday commodities. The government was committed to providing good quality health, education and communication facilities to the masses at their doorsteps, he added. He said talks with Iran for the acquisition of natural gas were at an advanced stage. Negotiations were also underway on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. He said," It is Allah''s blessings that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the "begging bowl" for good."

He said Pakistan is rich in natural resources and deposits of copper, gold, coal are available in other provinces as well, which will also be explored. He said the raw material available in the area was also attractive for investment and invited foreign and local investors to come and set up steel industry in Chiniot. He hoped that it would provide jobs to around 100,000 people and bring about economic prosperity in the area.

The past governments, he regretted, caused unnecessary delay in discovering the mineral deposits. He, however praised the present Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for expediting the work at a fast pace. He expressed the hope that Chiniot would emerge on the world map as a favourite spot for international investors. Necessary infrastructure would be built well in advance for provision of better facilities, he added. The Prime Minister expressed his pride on friendship with China and thanked Chinese and German experts for working together on the project to unearth the precious minerals.

He said the government was working on Pak-China economic corridor from Khunjerab to Gwadar which would ensure economical growth and prosperity, besides further strengthening ties between the two countries. He said the government would generate electricity from Thar coal reserves. Provision of electricity on economical prices besides its generation was the main agenda of government, he added.

The Prime Minister was informed that the quality of iron ore deposits was equivalent to similar ones in Brazil, Russia and India, and had been estimated in thousands of tons. Samples had been tested by top laboratories of Canada and Switzerland, which confirmed the high quality of deposits.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif termed the project a game-changer and said with Allah Almighty''s help the country had been endowed with a rich natural resource that would usher in an era of prosperity in the country. He said his government embarked on the project with full sincerity and commitment to find iron ore deposits, but the country was lucky to have found precious deposits of copper and gold.

He attributed the great find to the transparent award of contracts and sincerity of purpose and said the entire funding for the project had been provided by the Punjab government, under the guidance of the Prime Minister. Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, said in general copper deposits were discovered along with gold and suggested that the area of research be expanded and divided among different companies for excavation and production.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

Iron ore, copper, silver, gold: reserves discovered in Punjab

Pakistan on Wednesday said it has discovered major reserves of iron ore as well as copper, silver and gold in Punjab. The reserves were found in Chiniot city in the Punjab, around 160 kilometres (around 100 miles) north-west of Lahore, by Chinese group the Metallurgical Co-operation of China. A senior provincial administrative official told AFP that initial estimates indicated 500 million tons of iron ore - a primary ingredient in steelmaking - had been discovered.

He said the Chinese company has expressed interest in setting up a steel mill on the site, adding that the extracted iron had been tested in Swiss and Canadian laboratories, which found 60-65 percent of it to be high grade. The official added that silver, copper and gold samples would also be sent for testing soon.

Speaking at the site on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the discovery could help Pakistan''s stuttering economy turn a corner and end its "begging bowl" culture. "It is Allah''s blessing that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the ''begging bowl'' for good," Sharif said.

Conflict, instability, corruption and a chronic energy shortage have hampered Pakistan''s economy for years. The IMF granted a $6.6-billion loan to Pakistan in September 2013 on the condition that it carry out extensive economic reforms, particularly in the energy and taxation sectors.

APP adds: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday greeted the nation on the discovery of good quality copper, iron and gold deposits, hoping the same would go a long way in bringing prosperity to the country. He was addressing a gathering here after getting a briefing on the discovery of iron ore deposits at Rajua, around three kilometers south of Chiniot.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Provincial Minister for Minerals Sher Ali, parliamentarians, representatives of Chinese Metallurgical Corporation and German consultants attended the event. In a detailed briefing by Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, and representatives of the Chinese Metallurgical Company and German consultants, the Prime Minister was informed that there were indications of large copper deposits.

It was suggested that there should be more focus on excavating copper as it has a much higher value in the international market as copper fetches 5000 dollars a tonne against 100 dollars a tonne for iron. The Prime Minister was informed that with the assistance of Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), a feasibility study had been completed in around nine-month time, whereas it was to be completed in 18 months.

Nawaz evinced keen interest and asked a number of questions about the type and quality of deposits. He said he was personally there to share the joy of moment and to share it with the entire nation. He was informed that studies were being conducted currently in 28 sq kms of area, and initial findings showed that there was high probability of presence of good quality deposits in around 2000 sq kms, particularly in south and south eastern parts of Chiniot city. He was shown through graphs and 3-D models the details of the deposits and informed that there was also probability of finding copper and gold deposits in the area.

The Prime Minister was informed that the MCC along with other international mineral exploration companies evinced desire to participate in the project and were declared successful. He lauded the expertise and hard work of the Pakistani metallurgical experts and scientists. He also lauded the German consultant firm GEOS for supervising the work.

Later addressing a select gathering, the Prime Minister said he wished to address a huge gathering of Chiniot people, but the plan was curtailed owing to security reasons. He said the operation Zarb-e-Azb was going ahead successfully under the National Action Plan and soon peace and tranquility would prevail. He said Pakistan was confronting a number of challenges, including terrorism, extremism and poverty, and lack of basic infrastructure and facilities was one of the basic reasons for them.

The Prime Minister said ruling Pakistan was not a "bed of roses", rather it was a big challenge and his government was braving all the issues with courage, zeal, dedication and a commitment to bring about a positive change in the country. He said it was time that the entire government machinery worked with sincerity, round the clock, to serve the masses. He said the government''s revenues had declined as the price of petroleum products dropped, but since the move was aimed at benefiting the masses, the government took the decision. Low prices of diesel, he said, would benefit the agriculture sector and lower prices of food items.

He said had the government enough funds, it would have worked on projects to provide 10,000MW electricity without any delay. However, a lack of funds was hampering government''s efforts. He said there was a need for transparency at all levels of governance.

Nawaz said lower fuel prices had led to decline in prices of everyday commodities. The government was committed to providing good quality health, education and communication facilities to the masses at their doorsteps, he added. He said talks with Iran for the acquisition of natural gas were at an advanced stage. Negotiations were also underway on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. He said," It is Allah''s blessings that under the lush green fields rich deposits of copper, iron and gold have been found, which will help the country get rid of the "begging bowl" for good."

He said Pakistan is rich in natural resources and deposits of copper, gold, coal are available in other provinces as well, which will also be explored. He said the raw material available in the area was also attractive for investment and invited foreign and local investors to come and set up steel industry in Chiniot. He hoped that it would provide jobs to around 100,000 people and bring about economic prosperity in the area.

The past governments, he regretted, caused unnecessary delay in discovering the mineral deposits. He, however praised the present Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for expediting the work at a fast pace. He expressed the hope that Chiniot would emerge on the world map as a favourite spot for international investors. Necessary infrastructure would be built well in advance for provision of better facilities, he added. The Prime Minister expressed his pride on friendship with China and thanked Chinese and German experts for working together on the project to unearth the precious minerals.

He said the government was working on Pak-China economic corridor from Khunjerab to Gwadar which would ensure economical growth and prosperity, besides further strengthening ties between the two countries. He said the government would generate electricity from Thar coal reserves. Provision of electricity on economical prices besides its generation was the main agenda of government, he added.

The Prime Minister was informed that the quality of iron ore deposits was equivalent to similar ones in Brazil, Russia and India, and had been estimated in thousands of tons. Samples had been tested by top laboratories of Canada and Switzerland, which confirmed the high quality of deposits.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif termed the project a game-changer and said with Allah Almighty''s help the country had been endowed with a rich natural resource that would usher in an era of prosperity in the country. He said his government embarked on the project with full sincerity and commitment to find iron ore deposits, but the country was lucky to have found precious deposits of copper and gold.

He attributed the great find to the transparent award of contracts and sincerity of purpose and said the entire funding for the project had been provided by the Punjab government, under the guidance of the Prime Minister. Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Punjab Mineral Company, said in general copper deposits were discovered along with gold and suggested that the area of research be expanded and divided among different companies for excavation and production.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

Daily trading report of PMEX 12 Feb, 2015

On Tuesday at Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) value traded was PKR 1.394 billion and the number of lots traded was 9,618. PMEX Commodity Index closed at 2,577. Major business was contributed by crude oil amounting to PKR 990 million followed by gold PKR 361 million and silver PKR 43 million.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

KCCI, Reap delegation visit Indonesian Ministry

Hadi Santoso, Consul General of Indonesia in Karachi, Ibrahim Kasumbi, Senior Vice President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Rafique Suleman, Chairman of Rice Exporter Association of Pakistan (REAP) and others met Nus Nuzulia Ishak, Director General of National Export Development (NED), Ministry of Trade Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta recently.

On the occasion, both parties discuss about the huge trade potential between the two brotherly countries. Kasumbi express his view that the existing trade volume is still below the potential, mindful to the large population of both the country which shares many similarities and have strong and cordial relations. 'We invite business community in Indonesia to visit and attend exhibition in Karachi, be it Expo Pakistan, My Karachi or other such events to understand each side's potentials" said Kasumbi at the meeting.

Rafique Suleman while briefing the meeting said that "We are ready to facilitate Indonesian interest regarding Pakistani rice, and assist Indonesia in every possible way.

DG NED appreciates the comprehensive explanations from KCCI and REAP and ready to facilitate Pakistani importers to explore more Indonesian products such as paper, rubber, spices, chemical, soap, detergent and other FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) items. "We invite Pakistani business community to the Trade Expo Indonesia, Jakarta 21 October 2015" Ishak said.

Mian Abrar Ahmad, former President of KCCI reiterated the importance of geographical position of Karachi in the region, that Indonesia and Pakistan should have more co-operation in many sectors, as Karachi can be the springboard of Indonesian products to reach other markets such as Afghanistan and other Central Asian republics, as well as SAARC countries.

The presence of KCCI and REAP in Jakarta with the facilitation of Indonesian Consulate General is instrumental to bring the business closer. "Because seeing is believing", said CG Hadi Santoso. Face to face interaction and direct communication are no doubt built closer network and linkage to both business communities, here further said.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

IRSA increases outflow from Tarbela, Mangla by 18,000 cusecs

The Indus River System Authority increased outflows from Tarbela dam on the river Indus by another 10,000 cusecs and from Mangla dam on the river Jhelum by 8,000 cusecs on Wednesday to augment hydel power generation and crop irrigation water. The water regulatory body is now discharging 35,000 cusecs water downstream the Tarbela dam and 38,000 cusecs downstream the Mangla dam for power generation and running the canals across the country.

Punjab Irrigation engineers told Business Recorder that Punjab has put up its indent for drawing its share of water from Indus zone off Chashma and Taunsa barrages to reopen the canals on Sunday after a month long closure in south Punjab. They said that IRSA was discharging more than 90,000 cusecs water into the canal irrigation network to meet water needs of the provinces. The river Kabul is contributing 11,600 cusecs and the river Chenab 6700 cusecs water.

According to WAPDA's 11th February report, the Sindh province is receiving 35,900 cusecs at Guddu barrage, 30,200 cusecs at Sukkur barrage and 9,400 cusecs at Kotri barrage to irrigate winter crops including wheat, oil seeds, grams, winter vegetables and fodder for livestock in addition to drinking purposes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Daily trading report of PMEX 7 Feb, 2015

On Thursday at Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) value traded was PKR 2.470 billion as compared to PKR 1.74 billion reported on Wednesday, an increase of 42 percent. The number of lots traded also increased by 13 percent to 15,559 from 13,719. PMEX Commodity Index increased by 0.99 percent and closed at 2,602.00.

Major business was contributed by crude oil amounting to PKR 1.852 billion, a 65 percent increase when compared to the previous trading day. This was followed by gold (PKR 501 million) and silver (PKR 117 million).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Punjab reopens Mangla zone irrigation canals

The Punjab Irrigation department has reopened the irrigation canals emanating from the Mangla Zone Rivers, Jhelum and Chanab in the central Punjab after a month-long closure in January for annual de-silting purposes. Punjab Irrigation Canal Regulator Eng M H Siddique toldBusiness Recorder here on Friday that Punjab was drawing 30,000 cusecs from the Mangla Dam whereas the River Chanab was contributing 7,900 cusecs water to meet irrigation water needs of the province.

He said Punjab was contributing 12,800 cusecs water downstream the Punjnad head-works to the Sindh province that was drawing 39,000 cusecs water from Tarbela Dam and River Kabul for watering its winter crops and vegetables. He said Punjab would draw water from the Tarbela Dam from February 15, as the recent two spells of rains had greatly fulfilled he irrigation needs of Indus zone areas. He said there was still 4.75MAF water left in the Tarbela and Mangla Dams to meet the water needs of the four provinces till March 31.

Weather Next Two Days: Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country. However, rain (snow over the hills) is expected at isolated places in north Balochistan (Quetta, Kalat, Zhob, Makran divisions), Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rawalpindi divisions, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Sugarcane growers in Punjab reach a bad deal?

The federal government fears that sugarcane growers in Punjab will not get their due payment from millers due to a massive price difference in KPK, Punjab and Sindh, well informed sources in Ministry of Industries and Production. The government had fixed a price of Rs 182 per 40 kg for Sindh and Rs 180 for Punjab and KPK. However, Sindh mill owners refused to pay the announced price to growers and procured sugarcane at Rs 155 per 40 kg which was far less than prices in KPK and Punjab.

"We feel that due to higher prices of sugarcane in KPK and Punjab, and dumping of Sindhi sugar in Punjab many mills are bankrupt," said an official on condition of anonymity. According to him, Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet had approved a package to export sugar but no mechanism has been finalised so far. According to Director General (Extension), Agriculture Department, Government of the Punjab, the cost of production of sugarcane in 2014-15 at farm level was @ Rs 142.05 per 40 kg, Mandi gate @ Rs 155.05 per 40 kg and by adding 25% investment incentive it soared to Rs 194 per 40 kg. He also said that the cost of production recommended by the Director General Agriculture (Extension), is not binding on the government of the Punjab. The growers had desired the fixation of sugarcane price from Rs 200 to Rs 250 per 40 kg, which was approved because of the domestic and international prices of sugar.

According to sources, Agriculture Policy Institute, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Islamabad did not support any increase in the price of sugarcane for the 2014-15 crop. The sources further stated that Ministry of Industries and Production will convene a meeting of Sugar Advisory Board (SAB) very soon to discuss the issues being faced by the sugar industry and growers so that it could be determined what went wrong in the 2014-15 crushing season.

The ministry will also submit an update to the ECC in the forthcoming meeting on the issue of price difference between KPK, Punjab and Sindh. The sources further stated that a SAB meeting will discuss why prices of sugarcane were fixed on the higher side when Agriculture Policy Institute, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, did not support any increase. Supreme Court of Pakistan is hearing a petition filed by the sugarcane growers of Sindh. However, Sindh Sugar Mills Association has also become a party to the petition.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

LHC sets aside NAB references against Ittefaq Group

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday set aside the references filed by NAB against Ittefaq Group owned by Sharif family about loan of various banks worth billions of rupees. With the court decision, Ittefaq Group won the case against various banks. A consortium of eight banks had sanctioned a collective loan of Rs 970 millions to Ittefaq Group of industries between 1982 and 1998.

In most cases, the loan was not paid back and the banks had added Rs 4 billion as mark up amount. The banks, which had filed suits in the courts, included National Bank of Pakistan, United Bank, Bank of Punjab, Zari Taraqiati Bank, NIB Bank, Habib Bank, Allied Bank, PICIS banks and Punjab Mudaraba Bank.

Earlier the Gorup''s counsel pleaded that all the loans had been paid back to the banks and no loan against any company of Ittefaq Group was outstanding. He said that the foundry had cleared complete liabilities of banks along with the mark-up. He said the recovery had been made and the contentions of the NAB authorities were wrong from the day one.

The petitioner''s counsel contended that the cases against Sharif family were made on the directions of the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and his clients were intentionally implicated in the cases. Prosecutor General Punjab Waqas Qadeer Dar appeared on behalf of the NAB and argued that no final verdict was given by any authority in the favour of the Group. Upon which, Ashtar Ausaf produced the clearance certificates of various banks before the court showing that the all loan had been paid back to the banks and now the banks had to pay to the family as the value of the properties sold out was more than the loan given to the family.

The law officer admitted that the recovery had been completed. However, he said, they did not receive clearance certificates. Earlier, a two-member bench had failed to reach consensus on the issue, thereafter the matter was referred to the referee judge for the final decision on it.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

SBI, PBIT join hands to attract investments

Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) has joined hands with Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) to attract investments especially in agriculture and livestock sectors. In this regard, a meeting was held between Chairman Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) Dr Asif A. Brohi and Lubna Pathan, Director General Projects Policy & Research, PBIT at SBI head office, here on Friday.

Officials in SBI said that proposal for the mutual activities related to marketing and promotion of investment in various sectors was floated by PBIT, which was highly appreciated by Chairman SBI Dr Asif A Brohi. They said that chairman SBI had supported the proposal and stressed the need of joint efforts especially in Agriculture and Livestock sectors for value-addition and value chain to attract local and foreign investors.

Earlier, Ms Lubna during the meeting apprised that besides different sectors of investment, PBIT was focusing on the development and investment in the Agriculture and Livestock. In this regard, PBIT is keen to develop mutual engagements with SBI not only in Agriculture and Livestock sectors but other sectors as well to attract investments from Qatar, Afghanistan, Canada and Central Asian countries, she said.

She said that both SBI and PBIT should engage together for mutual promotional activities - business conferences, road shows and seminars at the local and foreign levels to attract investments in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by Ms Naheed Memon, Vice Chairperson SBI, Muhammad Riazuddin, Director General SBI, Abrar Shaikh, Director SBI and others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Tetra Pak returns to Gulfood 2015

Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, returns to Gulfood 2015 to demonstrate its industry expertise and commitment to its customers. Under the theme "Innovation for Growth" Tetra Pak will host its customers in an exclusive 'Tetra Pak Customer Oasis' designed to demonstrate innovative ways to help customers grow their businesses. With increase revenues, manage costs, reduce risk across the value chain, and build brand equity as the four key areas for most food processing and packaging companies in the region, said an announcement by Tetra Pak here on Friday.

"Our regular presence and participation at Gulfood highlights the importance of this region and our commitment to our customers. This year we are providing our customers the opportunity to explore innovation-driven business solutions" says Amar Zahid, President, Greater Middle East and Africa (GME&A), Tetra Pak. "We are continuously working with our customers to understand their challenges and to provide real solutions as well as insights to drive growth for their businesses."

As part of Gulfood 2015, Tetra Pak will also introduce its first series of exclusive seminars designed to provide the latest insights and developments in the food processing and packaging industry. The 'Tetra Pak Knowledge Series' will cover a variety of topics including packaging and design trends, reaching consumers in new high-growth sectors and the Dairy Index, Tetra Pak's annual report designed to help dairy producers identify new opportunities for growth, whilst offering industry watchers information on the latest facts, figures and trends related to the global dairy industry. The sessions will be open to all Tetra Pak customers but require advance registration.

"Gulfood presents a great opportunity for us to share our extensive market intelligence and analysis of markets around the world. The 'Tetra Pak Knowledge Series "will address key topics and issues to provide our customers with some valuable insights into the industry," says Zahid.

In addition to the extensive program of Gulfood activities, Tetra Pak will be inviting its customers to a customer event with a special guest presentation by Nenad Pacek, a best-selling author, senior advisor, and highly regarded global expert on macro-economic trends in emerging markets. Pacek will deliver an exclusive presentation on the latest economic and business outlooks and insights for countries in GME&A that can potentially help to inform business strategy for companies in the region. Operating in 49 countries in The Greater Middle East and Africa, this region remains one of Tetra Pak's fastest growing markets with long-standing partnerships with many of the region's leading food companies. Tetra Pak delivered close to 28 billion packages last year, primarily in the dairy and fruit juice product categories.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Wildlife garden

Wildlife gardening is a school of gardening that is aimed at creating an environment that is attractive to various forms of wildlife such as birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, mammals and so on. A wildlife garden (or wild garden) will usually contain a variety of habitats that have either been deliberately created by the gardener (eg, ponds to attract frogs, newts, toads, dragonflies; nesting boxes for birds and solitary bees, hedgehogs or certain insects; log piles to provide shelter for lizards and slow worms; planting beneficial insect attractant plants including wildflower meadows, etc), or allowed to self-establish by minimising maintenance and intervention.

Many organic gardeners are sympathetic to the philosophy of wildlife gardening, and will usually try to incorporate some aspects of the wild garden into their own plots in order to both act as a means of biological pest control, as well as for its value in promoting biodiversity and generally benefitting the wider environment.

Although some exotics may also be included, the wild garden will usually predominantly feature a variety of native species. Generally these will be a part of the pre-existing natural ecology of an area, but managed in a way that is enhanced rather than damaged by the process of cultivation.

As in other forms of gardening, aesthetics plays a central role in deciding what is 'right', but constraints regarding issues such as seed provenance also apply. Wild gardens are by definition examples of water-wise gardening, as the natural species of any ecoregion or micro-climate are those optimal for local water supplies.

There are a few super-beneficial plants that bloom for a long time, and yield abundant nectar and pollen. These plants, such as the Joe-Pye weed at right, support a whole community of beneficial insects and small vertebrates. Goldenrod is another example.

Source 

Envoy inaugurates Pakistan pavilion at 'Fruit Logistica 2015'

Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany, Syed Hasan Javed inaugurated Pakistan Pavilion at International Trade Fair of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables "Fruit Logistica 2015" on Thursday in Berlin. He went to each Pakistani stall and exchanged views with Pakistani Exhibitors about their products and a marketing strategy, said a message sent here.

He said the quality and nutrition value of Pakistan agri-products was quite good and met the international standards but there was a need to introduce latest techniques and technologies in the fruit and vegetable processing field to make them disease-free and increase their shelf life.

The representatives of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Association informed the Ambassador that the quality of Pakistani products had been improved as the latest technologies in the field of fruit and vegetable processing was being applied as well Value-added products had been introduced resulting in substantial increase in their export over the years. Ambassador said Pakistani 'Mangoes and Kinnow (mandarins) had niche in European markets and the exporters should make efforts to exploit their opportunity.

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) facilitated seven exhibitors and also set up site office to assist them and other exhibitors in their business activities. Fruit Logistica Trade Fair provides a platform for business networking to importers and exporters, fruit & vegetable producers, wholesalers & retailers, packaging and handling specialists, and transport & logistic specialists from all over the world. This year 2,750 exhibitors form 83 countries, representing every link in the fresh produce supply chain, are participating and more than 60,000 trade visitors form over the 130 countries are expected to visit this three-day trade fair besides a large number of end consumers.

The year's best innovations will be presented with the 10th Fruit logistica innovation Award. Approx, 1.8 billion tonnes of fruit and vegetables were produced worldwide in 2014. Portugal is this year's official partner country.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2015

Punjab government offers rate of Rs 1260 per maund

The Punjab government allocating surplus wheat stocks for export purpose has offered the intending exporters to lift as much quantity as they desire by depositing payment at the rate of Rs 1260 per maund. This offer was made by the Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen at a meeting held at the office of the Secretary Food here on Thursday attended by the wheat exporters, flour mills owners, provincial secretary food and director food.

The minister informed that the federal government had formally permitted export of surplus stocks of wheat by extending a rebate of US 55 dollars per metric tons. The minister urged the exporters that they could take as much wheat as they require from the allocated stocks after depositing its price through a bank draft and gunny bags.

As per guidelines issued on the website of the provincial Food department for the exporters, agreement will be signed for a sale/purchase of minimum 1,000MT wheat. 45 days Letter of Credit (LC) facility will be given on an agreement of minimum sale/purchase of 2,500MT wheat. Exporter will also submit bank guarantee valid for 120 days, equal to rebate amount of the quantity purchased at US 55 dollar per metric tons on interbank rate as of date of signing of agreement deposit of amount from any of the designated commercial banks.

Punjab food director while speaking at the meeting said that the exporters would be bounded to export wheat lifted from the department within 30 days of the delivery and bank guarantee would be returned to them after attestation by the Food department. He intimated the intending exporters that surplus stocks are present in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Sahiwal and Sargodha procurement and storage centres of the department. He urged the exporters to visit the website of the department for further information.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Mega irrigation project for Fata to be initiated in March

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Secretariat, under the special directives of KP Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan will initiate a mega irrigation project worth US 47.9 million dollars in March 2015. The five-year mega project, which has been approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) Government of Pakistan on January 27, is destined to benefit 116751 families in the tribal region. The Governor KP and Fata Secretariat authorities have made hectic efforts to get the project approved from the CDWP.

Under this project, a total of nine dams, five in Mohmand Agency and four in Khyber Agency would be constructed. 31 irrigation weirs also planned to be constructed in three agencies. These include 22 in Bajaur Agency, seven in Mohmand Agency and two in Khyber Agency.

According to details levelling of 4,615 acres of land for cultivation purpose also part of this project. 2,816 acres of land will be levelled for cultivation in Bajaur Agency, 720 acres in Mohmand Agency and 1,079 in Khyber agency. The experts believed this will bring revolutionary changes in the lives of the inhabitants of these agencies. Irrigation channels and water courses, covering 239km areas of Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber have also been planned in the mega irrigation project.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Effects of GMOs on food security

Genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Recombinant  DNA  technology uses  DNA molecules from  different  sources  in  order  to combine  them  into  one  molecule  to  create  a new set of genes. The term GM foods are most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The best known example is Bt. cotton, transgenic maize and golden rice.

Food security means access by all members at all times to enough food for an active&healthy life.Food  security  exists  when  all  people,  at  all times,  have  physical  and  economic  access  to sufficient,  safe  and  nutritious  food  to  meet their  dietary  needs  and  food  preferences  for an active and healthy life.Food  security  includes  at  a  minimum  the  ready availability  of  nutritionally  adequate  and  safe foods,  and  an  assured  ability  to  acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.

In the years 2012-2014, an estimated 842 million people were suffering from chronic hunger (FAO).The FAO identified the four pillars of food security as availability, access, utilization, and stability.GM crops posed serious problems through complex interaction between modified genetics and ecology in the environment.

The serious problems posed by some GM crops are the allergic reactions in some susceptible people.Proteins are produced in some crops which have allergic reactions and if the genes encoding these allergic proteins are introduced into the other crops through genetic engineering technique produced same effect in susceptible peoples. For example, a gene from Brazil nut is introduced in corn and caused allergy in susceptible people who took the products of corn as food.

The most widely used promoter is the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter.This promoter was obtained from the virus that causes cauliflower mosaic disease in several vegetables such as; cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage & canola.

There are concerns that the CaMV promoter might be harmful if it were to invade our cells & turn on our genes.The gene transfer from crop to weeds making them herbicides resistant i.e. formation of super weeds.Cotton oil is used in cooking oils containing Bt. Toxins which causes serious stomach disorders and are future threats.

Insect resistance, virus tolerance, herbicide tolerance, drought resistance, nutrients enhancement, phytoremediation, yield increase are positive aspects of GMOs. Worldwide, 7% of children suffer vitamin A deficiency, many of them living in regions in which rice is a staple of the diet.

Progress of Sindh agriculture growth project discussed

Senior Advisor to World Bank, Karachi Nazar Mahar and World Bank Consultant Saifullah Khokhar have met Director General Agriculture Extension Sindh, Hidayatullah Chajjro, field staff and senior officers and discussed the progress of Sindh Agriculture Growth Project (SAGP). The World Bank team observed that the success of the project depends on the activities of the field staff in a planned way.

They further said that agriculture is robust and inclusive to economic growth and development and alleviate rural poverty in Sindh and Pakistan. According to a World Bank report, national average yields of major crops in Pakistan are only 55% of progressive farmers' yields, the highest achievable yields by farmers.

It maintained that full potential is not being realised due to slow adoption of modern technology and absence of infrastructure and supply chain. The post harvest losses and low market prices and non-availability of information also make all efforts of farmers useless.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh Government under democratic leadership has initiated Sindh Agriculture Growth Project (SAGP) to address these issues for economic growth and shared prosperity. The project objective is to improve the productivity and market access of small and medium producers in important commodity value chains. This will be achieved by investing in knowledge and technology for producers, sub-sector of crops and strengthening public sector institutions to enhance the enabling environment for sustained growth.

The project will finance investments in three horticulture crops - dates, onions and chillies and rice crop. The key focus will remain on adopting good agricultural practices for production, post-harvest handing and marketing of the selected crops. The project will be implemented in Khairpur, Hyderabad, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Jacobabad, Badin, Kashmore, Kamber, Thatta, Shikarpur, Umarkot and Badin districts. The project will reach to approximately 112,000 farmers covering over 66,000 hectors. A substantive number of these farmers will be women involved in the agricultural processes on-farm for pre and post-harvest practices for the selected commodities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

KP to establish public sector meat company

Special Assistant to CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Livestock and Cooperatives, Mohibullah Khan Wednesday said that the provincial government would soon establish a meat company to meet the local demand and export surplus meat. Under this initiative the provincial government would also establish Halal Meat Certification Board.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting on the development of livestock here in Agricultural University. Besides, Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Professor Dr Mohammad Subhan Qureshi, Director General (DG), Livestock, Dr Sher Mohammad, DG (Research), Dr Ghufranullah, president, Medical Veterinary Association, Habibullah, general secretary, Khasro Kaleem, chairman, Department of Poultry Sceince, Sarzameen Khan, faculty members and students also attended.

Speaking on the occasion, the Special Assistant to the CM said that other provinces of the country already have veterinary universities and he would leave no stone unturned for the establishment of Veterinary University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also.

He stressed need for strengthening mutual co-ordination between livestock department and concerned faculties of the Agricultural University for the development and modern research in livestock sector. In this connection, he also directed the constitution of a co-ordination committee to be comprised of DG Livestock (Extension), DG (Research) and Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science. For recruitment of the veterinary doctors and fresh veterinary graduates at union council level, he also assured the initiating of internship program.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Daily trading report of PMEX 5 Feb, 2015

On Tuesday at Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) value traded was PKR 2.225 billion and the number of lots traded was 22,118. PMEX Commodity Index increased by 0.60 percent and closed at 2,593. Major business was contributed by crude oil amounting to PKR 1.362 billion followed by gold (PKR 729 million) and silver (PKR 134 million).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Collectors directed to allow export of 650,000 MT of sugar

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed Collectors of Customs to allow sugar mills to export sugar to the extent of 650,000 metric ton (MT) in line with the latest decision of the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet. In this regard, the FBR has issued instructions to all Model Customs Collectorates on the export of sugar.

According to a FBR's instructions to the Collectors of Customs, Model Customs Collectorates should follow decision of the ECC on export of sugar. The FBR has circulated the decision of the ECC to the Collectors of Customs for compliance. As per ECC decision received at the FBR, the Economic Co-ordination Committee of the Cabinet considered the Summary dated December 23, 2014 submitted by the Ministry of Commerce on "Enabling Sugar Mills to Continue Sugarcane Procurement by improving Liquidity" and decided the following, in supersession of its earlier decision in Case No ECC-152/24/2014 dated 12th November, 2014.

Allowed Sugar Mills to export sugar to the extent of 650,000 MT. Quota would be allocated to Individual mills on first come first serve basis subject to the conditions that (i) Exports would be made against irrevocable letter of credit or a firm contract with 15% non-refundable advance payment (ii) Shipment would be made within 45 days of the registration of contract with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP); non-refundable advance payment to be forfeited in favour of Government of Pakistan in case of non-performance; and (iii) Quota so allocated must be exported by 15th May, 2015.

Moreover, ECC approved imposition of Regulatory Duty @ 20% ad valorem on import of sugar, including Raw and Beet Sugar through an SRO. The ECC Allowed export of sugar to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics by land route in dollar terms; Minimum price for export to Afghanistan shall be 450$ /MT. The ECC also approved Inland Freight Subsidy of Rs 2/kg and approved cash subsidy on sugar exports(r) Rs 8/Kg. The ECC also decided that the total cost of the subsidy amounting to Rs 6.5 billion would be borne by the Federal and the respective Provincial Governments as per sugar mills, location on 50:50 sharing basis.

The actions to implement the decision of ECC of the Cabinet may be initiated forthwith by the FBR under intimation to the Ministry of Commerce. Besides, State Bank of Pakistan may also arrange via its website full disclosure of the record of quota allocation and its actual exports, sources added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015