ISLAMABAD: At least twelve new hybrid rice ­varieties will be available to farmers for cultivation ­during the next Kharif crop season starting in July. The new varieties were approved by the Variety Evaluation Committee of Pakistan Agriculture Coun­cil (Parc) in Islamabad on Wednesday after reviewing twenty-six proposals. Research on these varieties was carried out at the rice research laboratory of National Agriculture Research Centre. A senior official of NARC told Dawn that following the approval by the committee, the new hybrids of rice can now be imported from China. So far, 130 different varieties of rice have been developed of which at least twelve varieties are currently sown by farmers in rice growing areas of the country. Punjab is the largest in terms of the crop’s production, followed by Sindh and then the remaining parts. In addition to the 12 types, an open pollinated variety of rice for commercial cultivation was also approved by the committee. While farmers can keep seeds of pollinated rice variety, the hybrid has to be changed after every crop. Parc chairman briefed the committee about the upcoming projects on rice under the Prime Minister’s ‘National Agriculture Emergency Programme’. Presiding over the variety evaluation committee meeting, Member Plant Sciences Division of PARC, Dr Abdul Ghafoor emphasised the role of quality seed for productivity and profitability of farmers. Representatives of seed companies appreciated the role of Parc for setting new benchmarks for testing of rice varieties in Pakistan. Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Rice industry stakeholders are urging the government to remove the tariff on hybrid rice seeds and allocate a portion of the P10-billion fund for improving hybridization. SL Agritech Corp., the largest producer of hybrid rice and seeds in the country, sought the removal of up to 50 percent levy on imported hybrid rice seeds. “This will have a huge effect on our farmers. All seeds especially hybrid cannot be produced in the Philippines since we do not have a compact area due to land reform,” SL Agritech technical advisor Frisco Malabanan told reporters yesterday. The rice tariffication bill was already submitted to the Office of the President last month and will lapse into law if not acted upon next week. “If we will follow the proposed tariff bill, tariff will be up to 50 percent. Hybrid seeds are already costly.  The tariff will further discourage farmers to plant more,” he added. Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/02/05/1890814/removal-tariff-hybrid-rice-seeds-pushed#eh7z7yaj7LRBScrO.99

LAHORE: Pakistan is all set to export the first ever consignment of 100 tons heat-tolerant rice seeds to the Philippines next month, a senior industry official said – a shipment that is long-awaited since the country begun experimenting hybrid technology over a decade back. “The first ever consignment of 100 tons high-yielding hybrid rice seed is expected to be exported to the Philippines in April, which will be sufficient to cultivate about 15,000 acres of land,” Shahzad Ali Malik, chief executive officer (CEO) of hybrid seed company Guard Agricultural Research and Services told journalists early this week. The success of Pakistani scientists in developing prime rice seed varieties was a result of partnership with Chinese researchers, led by Yuan Longping, in 2004 after development of hybrid seed breeding technique across the coastal belt of Sindh. The country was expecting to ship the maiden consignment of hybrid rice seeds last year, but it was delayed because officials said it takes a long process from harvesting and grading to regulatory procedures before such seed gets ready for the plantation. Malik said as the hybrid seed is produced in harsh weather of coastal belt it is suitable for plantation in changing climate of China and other Far Eastern countries of Asia, offering lucrative exports market. “India can also take huge benefits from this seed technology.” Guard Agricultural Research’s chief, while talking about climate change and its impact on agro-ecosystems, said the need to develop heat-tolerant and drought-resistant hybrid rice seed varieties becomes immensely important due to climate change. Production of premium quality seed by the private sector is a big achievement as public sector institutions or multinationals monopolise the seed development. Malik said his company also carried out hybrid rice trials for seed multiplication in South-Central districts of Punjab. “The step would prove very beneficial in increasing area of hybrid rice in Punjab by offering low cost of production to growers,” he added. “Consequently, production of hybrid rice varieties would lead to opening of more export avenues, a win-win situation for researchers, farmers and the economy.” Hybrid seed varieties, being cultivated in Sindh coastal belt, have a very healthy production capacity of seven to eight tons/hectare. One of the varieties has strong roots and stem systems, enhancing its endurance against high winds. Chinese researchers are also helping their Pakistan counterparts to introduce super-hi hybrid variety of rice with 18 tons/hectare yield potential. Philippines, one of the world’s biggest rice producers and importers, is facing invariable import supplies, keeping the country at the risk of food shortages. Introduction of hybrid seed on vast scale is seen as a solution to the problem. The south east Asian nation’s rice crop season would start during the next month. It wants to increase area under hybrid rice cultivation to 30 percent. Only high-yielding hybrid rice varieties could help in tremendously increasing yields without increasing acreage, achieving vertical growth potential. In the recent years, even Thailand and some other major producers had to import rice to meet its demand mainly due to inconsistent performance of agriculture due to multiple factors.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Chinese hybrid rice seeds research organization has initiated a campaign to promote hybrid seed cultivation across the crop growing areas of the country.  The main aim of this joint initiative was to enhance per acre crop productivity, increase profitability and produce surplus commodity for exports enhancement.  In this regard, an official of the council told APP here Friday that both the countries have decided to work together for conducting joint awareness programmes to adopt hybrid rice seeds.  The Chinese scientists are scheduled to train 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces.  Besides, he said that they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation.  They would also organize road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed, he added.  He further informed that the a revolutionary hybrid rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers, which would help Pakistani farmers to enhance significantly their per acre yield.  The new developed rice seed variety would help to produce extra surplus, hence the country would be able to export more rice for exporting it to other countries, he added.  He said a travelling seminar has also been designed by PARC and Chinese Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Company to travel in all the four ecological zones of the country in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.  The main objective of the seminar was to estimate the local hybrid seed requirements for different regions and showcase the hybrid rice varieties, he remarked.  In addition, he said that the other aim if the activity was the capacity building of the local experts from all over the country in order to promote the hybrid rice techniques.  High level Chinese team comprising on 12 top hybrid rice experts will be the part of this travelling rice seminar, he added. 

ISLAMABAD: A group of Chinese agriculture experts, comprising 12 hybrid rice scientists, arrived here Tuesday to train local scientist and farmers on hybrid rice cultivation technologies to improve per acre crop productivity. The Chinese scientists are scheduled to train 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces. Besides, they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation. They would also organize road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed. In this regard an inaugural ceremony was held at National Agriculture Research Center, which was attended by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Nasir Iqbal Bosal, Agriculture and Economic Councilor of Chinese Embassy Dr Wang and Chief Executive Officer of Yaun Longping Hi-tech Company limited China. The Ministry of Commerce Peoples Republic of China is the main sponsor of the initiative, where as Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and Agriculture Innovation Programme are also collaborating in promoting the hybrid seed technologies. Addressing the event, Chinese Agriculture and Economic Councilor said that it was the first bilateral initiative, aiming to enhance per acre rice yield by promoting hybrid rice techniques in Pakistan. Under the programme, he said that private sector companies of both the countries would cooperate to promote the hybrid rice production that would almost double the per acre crop yield. He further said that hybrid rice technologies would help to enhance per acre crop output, besides increasing farm income and reduce the poverty. The hybrid rice technology would also bring revolution in Pakistani Basmati rice production, which was famous all over the world for its taste and aroma. Addressing the event, CEO of Yaun longping High-Tech Agriculture Company said that the training course was designed in accordance with the requirements of local farmers. She said that the training course would include lectures and field visits for active participation of local farming community for the better results. Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Food Security said that government was determined to promote agri-sector of the country. He informed that rice crop was cultivated over 2.7 million hectares and was the second major staple food crop of the country, adding that the Chinese expertise would help to enhance the local crop output significantly. He hoped that the bilateral cooperation in agri-sector would bring the positive results and further enhance the crop output by minimizing the inputs. Speaking on the occasion Chairman PARC stressed the need for bringing innovation and introducing mechanized farming to make the local produces more competitive in international markets. He said currently Pakistan was surplus wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize and potato, adding that these products were comparatively costly due to use of conventional agri-technologies. Meanwhile, Member Plant Sciences Dr Anjum Ali informed that the aim of the training course on hybrid rice was to educate the local farming community about the hybrid technology and seed selection for achieving maximum per acre yield.

LAHORE: Rice growing experts on Tuesday said that the launch of Chinese Hybrid rice in Pakistan would bring revolution in rice production having yield of 18 tons per hectare or more than 150 maunds per acre.  Talking to APP the experts said that both China and Pakistan currently sown around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.  Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Centre (SPHRRC) director Professor Mohammad Zubair, said that the new rice variety would help to increase per acre yield for Pakistani farmers and increased export of rice to other countries, including China, in future.  He said that both China and Pakistan were currently sowing around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.  The amount of the double-cropping rice is equal to that produced over three seasons in the past, marking a big breakthrough, he said.  To a question he said that Chinese Professor Yuan, is the father of this hybrid rice. He said his discovery of high- yield hybrid rice would help end the food crisis in the globe, which was highly regarded in China and in the world.  Prominent rice scientist and researcher, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said that "father of hybrid rice," Professor Yuan began theoretical research about 50 years ago and continued to set new records in the average yields of hybrid rice plots.  He said that the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) honoured professor Yuan with different titles and awards during the last four decades.  Yuan received World Food Prize 2004 for his landmark achievement for developing the genetic materials and technologies important for breeding hybrid rice varieties, he said.  As the first person to discover fast growth with greater yield and stress resistance he is acknowledged highly.  Meanwhile Punjab secretary agriculture Muhammad Mahmud said that Pakistani scientists, earlier had successfully developed a technology that will help farmers sow rice without water.  As rice is sown with water in abundance in the field, however, the recent development would be helpful for the farming community facing water shortage problem, he added.  Professor Iqbal said that the only way to safeguard the global food supply is to raise the amount of yield per unit area via advanced technologies, including those that focus on water conservancy, fertilizer optimization, soil cultivation and improved seeds.  He said that Pakistan needed to make a massive investment in science and technology for a long period to entertain the desired progress.  Noted environmentalist Dr Maqsood said that the global rice production is likely to fall in coming years due to climate change and its impacts, so it is a high time for Pakistan to avail benefit from the upcoming demand by increasing its rice production through sustainable practices.  To a query he said according to recent studies, climate change and its impacts on extreme weather and temperature swings is projected to reduce the global production of corn, wheat, rice and soybeans by 23 percent.  It is pertinent to mention here that rice is the country's largest export crop (3.8 million Metric Tonnes per annum). The country has more than a thousand rice mills catering to the need of farmers growing 5.54 million tonnes per annum on an area of 2.5 million hectares.  This important crop accounts for 6.7 percent of value added in the agricultural sector, and 1.6 percent of national GDP.  Pakistan enjoys a strong competitive advantage in the export sector due to consumer preference in destination markets for aromatic and long grain rice. 

BEIJING: A World renowned company in the field of Hybrid rice production, Tianjin Tianlong Agricultural Science and Technology has shown keen interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation with Pakistan. The company is engaged in new crop breed research and its industrialization, deep process technology for agricultural products and forage biotechnology research and industrialization, crop seeds production and distribution. The company was having a good export of it’s hybrid rice to Pakistan as China Pakistan Economic Corridor has provided enormous opportunities to cooperate more, said a company’s representative. Tianlong not only focused in seeds research, but it has also expanded the business in many fields, such as, hybrid rice seeds trading, processing technological researches for agricultural products, the feed’s biotechnology research, agricultural products import & export, but also focuses on advanced agricultural project investments. It is the second largest exporter of hybrid rice seeds in China while already had few customers in 10 countries including Pakistan, Hongkong, Indonesia, North and South Korean, Vienan. The Company’s representative told to a vising media’s delegation that they were also supplying agricultural machinery, rice fertilizer and mixed feed to different countries. The hybrid rice production technology of the company was 25 years ahead than its competitors in all over the world. The delegation was informed that the company was wholly responsible for hybrid rice production in North and South China.

Fifteen new varieties of rice are set to be released to farmers to boost the production of the local crop.

Fifteen new varieties of rice are set to be released to farmers to boost the production of the local crop which is performing dismally at the moment. One of the hybrids can do well under irrigation, while the other can survive under rain-fed farming, just like maize, thus saving farmers the hefty cost of pumping water for irrigation. “The new varieties will improve yields of rice and make it as competitive as imported rice in terms of quality, price and affordability,” said Dr Kayode Sanni, the rice manager for The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) which is overseeing the five-year project that was launched in 2012. The yields range from seven to 10 tonnes per hectare, provided that the farmer adheres to good farming practices, including creating good soil conditions for the seedlings. “From our analysis, farmers stand to gain an average of Sh35, 000 to Sh100, 000 more than with the old variety,” he said. According to Electine Wafula, a plant breeder at Hybrids East Africa Limited, who worked on the crop, the new rice varieties will mature early, will adapt to various environments and require less water, thus improving farmers’ incomes. With the exception of Pishori, a local aromatic rice, most locally-grown rice takes longer to mature, than hybrids which mature within three months. However, the problem with Pishori is that it has a lower yield and is also prone to diseases, especially blast. IMPORTED QUALITY Despite being the country’s second staple food, Kenya produces less than 200, 000 metric tonnes of rice against a demand of over 450,000 metric tonnes according to data from the National Irrigation Board. The gap is bridged with imports from Asian countries, further dulling the market for local farmers whose rice is of poorer quality. “The hybrid is of good quality and can replace our indigenous rice. It also has characteristics of Pishori which is loved by Kenyans, and has a more translucent and stronger grain,” said Dr Raphael Wanjogu, the chief research officer at the National Irrigation Board. Despite being popular, many Kenyans opt to buy imported rice over Pishori, because the imported varieties are cheaper. Imports are also of  better quality than other varieties of local rice. “This new type is closer to Pishori, so with its quality and yields, it will enable us take over the market from importers. It can also be grown in areas where Pishori cannot do well like in western Kenya,” said Dr Wanjogu. The fast-maturing rice can grow during the short rains since it only takes three months to mature. Maturing even a month faster than competing varieties makes a world of difference in savings for farmers. Other than two sites in Kisumu, the new rice has also been tested  in Hola, Malindi, Mwea and Siaya and found to have the desired qualities. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) results for the first national trial done last year were successful whereas the second trial results are  being awaited. The law requires that two trials are done. Once the regulator, Kephis, gives the greenlight, the crops will be named and seeds will be distributed to farmers. “We are producing foundation seeds which will be used by farmers and there is a company to multiply the seeds once we get the approvals,” said Dr Sanni. To ensure sustainability, AATF will partner with local seed companies which will produce their own seeds for sale. “We are working with seed companies. We want them to get direct access to quality seeds (male and female) and have the capacity to use them to produce their own seeds,” said Dr Sanni. The scientists are also working on producing rice hybrids that are aromatic in nature.