With the growing demand for japonica rice in the Philippines, imports fill out the gap. With the opportunities seen, efforts to adapt popular foreign rice varieties to the Philippine setting were considered a sound investment. Though economies of scale may not be achieved, a shorter value chain and the price premium for specialty rice may motivate the players and producers
On-farm demonstration trials using organic reduced tillage and rice straw mulching for potato crops at the ISARC experimental field in Varanasi. (Photo: ISARC) In India, potato is the most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Reduced-tillage potato cultivation is a sustainable and effective technique for organic farming that offers numerous benefits to farmers and the environment, particularly soil
Leading agricultural economist from Vietnam highlights the ways their national government reformed the agricultural sector resulting in sustained growth and export production and expansion. BENGALURU, India (4 April 2023) – At the core of the Vietnamese agricultural revolution are the reforms in agricultural policies from land access and enhancing the productivity and efficiency of farmers, said Dr. Cao Đức Phát,
IRRI-Africa scientists presented ready-to-adopt rice-based technologies to inspire partnerships and collaborations focused on addressing food insecurity and climate change in Africa. NAIROBI, Kenya (6 April 2023) – More than half of the global land suitable for crop production, including rice cultivation, is in Africa, most of which is unused or underutilized. To meet the ever growing demand for rice, the
Malho Marndi, standing in her DSR field, defines herself as a passionate farmer who is willing to try new technologies. (Photo: IRRI-India) Malho Marndi proudly recounts her journey as she returned to her village in Odisha, India to engage in farming and became a progressive farmer in her area. People described her as “mad” because she was quick to embrace
The FAO estimated that over 6% of the world’s land area and about 20% of irrigated croplands are affected by salinity. Strategic and adaptive research on the incorporation of modern technologies, salt-tolerant varieties, biochar, plant growth regulators, and nanoparticles will be critical in amending salt-affected soil and increasing the productivity of degraded land. Plants are encountering several environmental adversities caused
Farmers in the Barabanki Region of Uttar Pradesh started cultivating peppermint to improve their profits. Peppermint is a short-term cash crop that fits well with traditional farming systems such as paddy-mustard-peppermint and paddy-potato-peppermint without conflicting with the prevailing cropping system. However, there are some challenges associated with incorporating peppermint into farming practices. Proper management practices, including irrigation, fertilization, and pest
09 March 2023, India – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bayer agreed to support and co-invest in a four-year project “Scale Direct” that aims to accelerate the global efforts of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on direct seeded rice (DSR) research and development for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa. The Project got Launched through a