IRRI and Department of Agriculture sign agreement anew to boost PH rice industry development

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (18 February 2023) – The Philippine Department of Agriculture entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to continue their collaborative efforts to enhance the country’s rice sector competitiveness during a signing ceremony on 13 February 2024.

The move is a bid to support the Philippine Development Plan that provides a policy framework for effective public investments towards making the country food secure, achieving an inclusive and globally competitive rice industry, and enhancing farmers’ resiliency to the changing climate.

The signing of the MoU not only underscores IRRI’s commitment to collaboration with Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., but also marks the first formal agreement between the two parties since he took office.This also reflects his emphasis on the critical role of research in fostering the growth of the rice industry and safeguarding the welfare of farmers and consumers alike.

Under the five-year agreement, the DA and IRRI will implement rice and rice-based research for development (R4D) projects anchored in the four-point strategy of the government’s Masagana Rice Industry Development Program and specifically, DA’s plan to boost the agriculture and fisheries sector. These endeavors aim to optimize yields, reduce risk, and increase resilience to climate change, achieving economies of scale, more efficient operations, while also promoting digital transformation and agribusiness development.

“We will leverage our already successful joint projects with the DA in crafting this next phase of our partnership. This agreement not only ensures strategic alignment of IRRI’s research with national priorities but also strengthens the country’s rice R&D capabilities for future problem-solving needs,” said IRRI Interim Director General Dr. Ajay Kohli.

The MOU signing represents a continuation…