balita.ph; February 24, 2014 7:54 am 

MANILA, Feb 23 — The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has released forty four new rice varieties as part of its efforts to reduce hunger and ensure food security in Asia and Africa.

These varieties are resilient to climate change and would help farmers to efficiently harvest rice with minimal amount of resources, according to the IRRI.

The new types of rice released in 2013 include nine salt-tolerant varieties in the Philippines, three flood-tolerant varieties in South Asia, and six in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our partners are free to release these for farmers’ use or for more breeding work to suit local needs in their countries,” IRRI breeding division chief Eero Nissila said in a statement.

Of the 44 rice varieties, 21 were in the Philippines, six in Bangladesh, five in Myanmar, three in Nigeria, two in Tanzania, two in India, and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Rwanda.

The IRRI is optimistic that these varieties would be able to respond to the demand for quality rice in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region.

"Releasing these rice varieties in ESA, including the aromatic ones, is a step toward meeting the demand of the region," IRRI scientist Dr. RK Singh who coordinated IRRI's regional plant breeding activities in the region stated.

An independent assessment by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) show that Southeast Asian rice farmers in three countries are harvesting an extra USD 1.46 billion worth of rice a year as a result of the research work done by IRRI and its partners. A 13% boost in yield gave returns of USD 127 per hectare in southern Vietnam, USD 76 per hectare in Indonesia, and USD 52 per hectare in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, a study commissioned by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) on the impact of investments in rice research suggested that a million investment in rice research has returned more than million in benefits to rice farmers and national economies in four Asian countries namely Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The IRRI is an international independent research and training organization with headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines and offices in sixteen countries.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) aims to develop new rice varieties and sustainable rice crop management techniques to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers.

The IRRI is credited for its contribution to the Green Revolution which resulted to an increase on the productivity of rice in the developing countries during the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

The institute has already released around a thousand improved rice varieties across 78 countries since its establishment in 1960. [(PNA)]

Source: IRRI releases new rice varieties Aerol B. Patena