Myanmar President Sein renews rice development tie up with IRRI

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Dec. 6 -- Myanmar President Thein Sein renewed his country’s partnership with the International Rice Research Institute as Myanmar launches an agricultural revolution to ensure food security and become a major producer of rice in the Asian region.

President Thein visit IRRI Thursday afternoon, together with his Cabinet ministers, to discuss a stronger Myanmar-IRRI rice research partnership.

Myanmar aims to improve rice production through the Myanmar Rice Sector Development Strategy with the help of IRRI.

President Thein’s visit to the rice research institute came as Myanmar maps out its rice sector strategy aimed at becoming a major rice exporter in the global market.

The country has about eight million hectares of land planted to rice and produced about 30 million tons of rice in 2011.

IRRI and Myanmar started their collaboration in the mid-1970s to develop new rice varieties, improve rice farm management, develop small-scale farm machinery and build rice expertise.

Currently, there are 69 IRRI-bred rice varieties released to Myanmar and 336 scientists and extension staff have undergone training at the institute.

In 2011, IRRI expanded its activities by introducing stress-tolerant high-yielding varieties and worked with farmers to develop best management practices in the delta and central dry zone.

In September this year, officials from Myanmar and senior representatives from IRRI and donor organizations came together to craft Myanmar’s rice development strategy and determine the research and development needed for the initiative.

President Thein also visited the International Rice Genebank, where more than 3,000 rice varieties from Myanmar are stored. These rice varieties are being conserved among a collection of more than 118,000 rice types.

source: PIA
http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1781386328200