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Advances
in Hybrid Technology Boost the Adoption of Hybrid Rice Seeds in Asia
One of the biggest breakthroughs in
modern agriculture is the breeding and adoption of hybrid rice seeds. Hybrid rice
seeds are primarily produced by combing two variants of rice to obtain higher
yield. Further, hybrid rice seeds also exhibit higher resistance to pests and
have improved ability to withstand harsh climate conditions. Thus, hybrid rice seeds are widely used by farmers
across the major rice producing nations in Asia including India, China,
Philippines, Vietnam and more. However, one of the issues with hybrid crops is
that the seeds are unable to produce plants with the same qualities. Thus,
farmers have to invest in new seeds every year which puts significant financial
burden on the farmers. Thus, there was a noteworthy increase in the number of
research activities towards tackling the aforementioned problems put forward by
hybrid rice seeds.
Scientific Breakthroughs Reduce
Financial Burden on Farmers
As farmers were compelled to buy
new hybrid rice seeds annually, farming with hybrid seeds proved to be an expensive
process. However, in 2018, scientists struck gold when a technique to clone
hybrid rice seeds was discovered. Scientists from France and the US modified a
hybrid variant of Rice Japonica to enable the production of cloned seeds in
some plants. Thus, owing to this step forward, farmers can re-plant the seeds
from the hybrid plants in their farm and gain higher yields every year without
having to purchase new hybrid rice seeds that are expensive. In addition, one
of the researchers working on the project has expressed that the discovery has
the potential to revolutionize the agricultural landscape in the future. In
addition, this seed production approach enables the plant to clone itself
without fertilization – which does not affect quality. Further, this
technique is likely to be applicable for a range of other crops including,
millets, corn, wheat and barley among others. The research team is focusing on
maximizing the efficiency of this technique to ensure its adoption moves in an
upward trajectory in the upcoming years.
Improving Food Security with
Hybrid Rice Seeds
Natural disasters cause tremendous
damage to human lives, infrastructure, agriculture, and various other verticals
of life. In addition, natural disasters including, earthquakes, floods, pose as
a constant threat to the production of rice and thus, food security is pivotal.
Hybrid rice seeds have emerged as one of the most efficient methods to secure
food for the future. In addition, as more than 50% of the global population
relies on rice, a dent in its production cycle could affect the well-being of
millions of people worldwide. Further, it is critical to ensure that the
production of rate of rice is in sync with the growing rate of population.
However, as the area of cultivable land is not accelerating at the required
pace, food security is a growing concern. Hybrid rice seeds are expected to
improve food security owing to an enhanced yield of nearly 15-20% in comparison
with the traditional inbred rice variants. Another major factor that is likely
to drive the prospects of hybrid rice seeds in the upcoming years is its
capacity to withstand hostile weather conditions. Moreover, hybrid rice seeds
are tolerant to floods, low-temperature, drought, and salinity among others.
Thus, owing to the exceptional aforementioned properties of hybrid rice seeds,
its adoption has witnessed a healthy growth in nations including, China,
Vietnam, and India.
To know more about this market,
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AfricaRice
Holds Smart Valley Innovation Forum with Farmers
By
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September 23, 2019
36
Dr. Inoussa Akintayo partakes in the harvest exercise with the
farmers.
The Smart Valley Rice Project
(SVP) under AfricaRice with funding from the Japanese Government on Thursday,
September 12, 2019 concluded a daylong rice innovation forum on improved
lowland rice production for farmers, agriculture extension workers from the
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and researchers from the Central Agriculture
Research Institute (CARI).
The training, which brought
together 50 participants in all, was held at CARI in Suakoko District, Bong
County.
AfricaRice Representative to
Liberia, Dr. Inoussa Akintayo, told the trainees that many still wonder why
Liberia is yet to feed itself as the country continues to import US$200 million
worth of rice annually, though it has 4.6 million hectares of arable land that
covers over 40 percent of the rain forest in the Sub-region.
“We have all the requirements to
grow enough rice, including good climatic conditions. If only we can top up on
those potentials, then we can feed ourselves and the neighboring countries,”
Dr. Akintayo said.
Akintayo said it is now time that
the Liberian government prioritizes lowland rice cultivation, which has the
potential to produce more yield to at least feed some of the population.
“Lowland rice production entails
big investment and, as such, the government alone cannot do all. AfricaRice has
introduced the “SAWAH” approach, which is the low cost lowland development where
the farmers used local materials to develop the land. SAWAH is also a man-made,
improved rice-growing environment with demarcated, bunded, leveled, and puddled
fields for water control,” he said.
Dr. Akintayo informed the
participants that the project would have phased out by the end of September
2019, but because of the success stories of lowland rice productions by the
farming groups in the selected communities, AfricaRice through the Japanese
Government decided to extend the project by an additional three months.
“We have tried this “SAWAH”
method in many countries in the sub-region, and it worked well. This same
technique is working well with the farming groups that we are working with in
the country,” Dr. Akintayo said.
Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice),
is a leading pan-African research organization with a mission to contribute to
poverty alleviation and food security in Africa through research, development
and partnership activities.
“In the Southeast, the government
has developed hundreds of hectares of lowland with donors’ support, but
unfortunately, those lands have not been used. Interestingly, in other parts of
the country, farmers are yearning for such environments to cultivate,” Dr.
Akintayo said.
He added, “If a household can
apply the “SAWAH” approach by using the local materials to cultivate the
lowland or swamp, it breaks the chains of poverty by generating capacity for
local production, processing and marketing of rice and rapidly decreasing
dependence on world markets.”
The AfricaRice training, which brought together 50 participants
in all, was held at CARI in Suakoko District, Bong County.
An official from MoA said that
the government is committed to increasing rice production, “and this forum will
provide more information regarding the process to production of the rice.”
He encouraged farmers to take the
SMART VALLEY Project training “very serious” so as to go in their various
communities and train other farmers.
Smart Valley Project Coordinator,
Dr. Roland Nuhu Issaka, said the project has established 20 farming groups in
Bong, three in Nimba County and one in Margibi County.
Dr. Issaka said the projects are
to improve inland valley rice production of smallholder farmers through area
expansion and increased productivity in the targeted counties to achieve
augmented, and stable yields through improved site-specific agronomic
practices, and to build the capacities of farmers about lowland farming,
especially on rice productions and soil management.
He named lack of interest (not
interested in group ownership), infiltration by individuals with ulterior
motives and physical and land tenure as some challenges in the production of
lowland rice.
He said over the months his
institution has provided to the farmers wellington boots, shovels, hoes,
cutlasses, seed rice, sand bags, twine, the periodic supply of rice fertilizer
and pesticides, as well as on the job training of water management, agronomy
and pest management.
Earlier, Bong County
Superintendent Esther Y. Walker urged SVRIF to focus on options that would
intensify the project by enhancing production in rice-based systems in a
sustainable manner.
She said that it is time for
Liberians to engage in “serious” agriculture activities.
https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/africarice-holds-smart-valley-innovation-forum-with-farmers/
Soap from straw: Scientists develop eco
friendly ingredient from agricultural waste
RCCI, MoC discuss ways and means
to explore new markets for country
RAWALPINDI - The
Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) president Saboor Malik
called on Ministry of Commerce, Joint Secretary, Ms Maria Kazi, Thursday and
discussed ways and means to explore new markets and help building positive
image of Pakistan.
Maria Kazi while exchanging views said that
special incentives would be provided to Pakistani companies through new
strategic trade policy framework for participating in trade fairs in Africa.
She said Pakistan’s exports to Africa were
confined to few products including rice, pharmaceuticals, cement, textiles,
surgical and sports goods and urged that private sector should focus on
exporting more products to Africa.
She lauded RCCI efforts for promoting trade
activities and appreciated its efforts for organising Business Africa Forum
earlier this year in Islamabad. She assured full support and assistant to RCCI
for organising trade exhibitions in the region.
Saboor Malik, on this occasion, said that
Africa, South and Latin America and Central Asian countries are the
non-traditional markets for Pakistan’s exports and have huge potentials for
enhancing of exports.
An Egyptian trade delegation is expecting to
visit RCCI next week, he informed. We will be holding Business to Business
(B2B) meetings on the sidelines of the visit and added that ministry should
open help desks at Chamber houses across Pakistan for information related to
African markets.
He said RCCI will organise similar events
including business opportunities conference and African Day to involve business
community to explore new markets for exports and promoting trade ties with
African Countries.
Africa is the second largest continent of the
world with 54 sovereign states and population 1.2 billion with collective GDP
$3.3 trillion and imports market of around $500 billion, he added. Chairman
regional trade Khurshid Berlas and HAP president Fahad Berlas was also present
on the occasion.
https://nation.com.pk/11-Oct-2019/rcci-moc-discuss-ways-and-means-to-explore-new-markets-for-country
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