News Overview

Smallholder farmers from the Butaleja district of Eastern Uganda have long faced barriers to accessing and adopting high-quality seeds of improved varieties. Entrenched social norms, limited knowledge, and poor agricultural management practices have hindered the uptake of these high-quality seeds that could boost productivity, resilience, and livelihoods. However, a concerted effort by Work Package 6 of the Seed Equal CGIAR

Soc Trang Province, Vietnam (September 4, 2024) —The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute, conducted a seasonal review meeting for the 1-Million Hectare High Quality and Low Emission Rice Program. The meeting coincided with the Harvesting Day of a pilot farm in Soc Trang Province. The program, to be implemented across

How streamlining processes saved the IRRI breeding lab nine days and $15,000 a year Los Baños, Philippines (11 September 2024): To ensure a steady supply of nutritious, climate-resilient, and user-preferred crop varieties for smallholder farmers worldwide, CGIAR breeding teams must continuously enhance data accuracy, streamline processes, and achieve higher rates of genetic gains. While improving breeding processes is crucial for

Los Baños, Philippines (11 September 2024): In the fast-paced world of crop breeding, timing is everything. Breeders face immense time pressure, particularly during the critical crossing period, where multiple tasks must be handled simultaneously from controlled pollination, environmental management, seed development, harvesting, to analysis. In many cases, with only three to four days to make crucial decisions before moving on

Bangladesh’s inefficient seed system is mainly responsible for the low productivity of the country’s farmers. Although the government encourages private companies to produce high-quality seeds, Bangladesh continues to rely heavily on imported seeds. Less than half of farmers use certified seeds, which have the potential to increase crop yields by 5–20%. Most rely on informal seed systems for planting materials

Heat stress affects women farmers more severely than their male counterparts. Extreme heat, drought, floods, and vector-borne diseases significantly amplify the physical and financial challenges faced by women, who bear the double burden of domestic and agricultural duties. Heat stress exacerbates women’s challenges related to domestic chores such as cooking and living in spaces with poor ventilation, fetching water, and

Authors: Dillip Kumar Rout*, Sk Mosharaf Hossain*, Swati Nayak*, and Amaresh Chandel** Rice is a crucial staple food for over 95% of Odisha’s population. This principal cereal bears immense significance culturally and economically. Bargarh District is known for its vast rice acreage and productivity. Rice is grown in about 235,000 (6.5% of total rice area) hectares every year. Compared

Authors: Sarvesh Shukla*, Anirban Nath*, Mosharaf Hossain*, Swati Nayak*, and Amaresh Chandel** The challenges of rice farmers in Jharkhand Jharkhand (“The land of the forest”), a state in eastern India, is home to many resource-poor tribal farmers. Rice is grown in 1.5 million hectares annually with a poor productivity of 2.4 tons per hectare. Depending on the topography, rice