IRRI joins forces with Vietnam Seed Corporation to develop premium rice varieties

In a bid to improve Vietnam’s rice production, Vinaseed, the country’s leading seed company, joined forces with IRRI to develop new productive and resilient rice varieties. The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including knowledge sharing, genetic resource access, and research focused on high yield, quality, pest resistance, and climate adaptability.

Can Tho, Vietnam (7 June 2024) —To boost Vietnam’s rice production and quality, Vietnam Seed Corporation (Vinaseed), the country’s leading seed corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

This collaboration aims to develop and commercialize high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties that are resistant to pests and adaptable to the changing climate.

IRRI Director General Yvonne Pinto and Vinaseed CEO Nguyen Quang Truong signed the agreement during a workshop on developing a circular economy in rice production and processing on (DATE) in Can Tho City.

The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including:

• Knowledge sharing : Training and technology transfer in gene technology, rice breeding, and AI for rice characteristic assessment.
• Genetic resources : Sharing genetic materials for testing and breeding rice varieties suitable for Vietnamese conditions.
• Developing super rice : Joint research to create high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties that are pest-resistant and adaptable to climate challenges.

IRRI brings extensive experience in rice research to the table. It also manages the International Rice Genebank with over 127,000 unique rice gene sources. For Vinaseed, this vast genetic library will be a valuable resource for developing new rice varieties.

The company already has access to nearly 500 promising new rice lines that show resistance to various diseases and adaptability to conditions like drought, submergence, and salinity when it joined IRRI’s Network for…