Biotech Updates

Two Seasons of Golden Rice Trials in the Philippines Completed

February 6, 2013

The two seasons of multi-location field trials of Golden Rice have been completed in the Philippine province of Camarines Sur. Data generated from these multi-loc trials are now being compiled to be submitted to the  Bureau of Plant Industry under the Department of Agriculture (DA-BPI), who will evaluate the data as part of the government's biosafety regulatory process.

Golden Rice is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene, a source of vitamin A. Leading nutrition and agricultural research organizations are working together to further develop and evaluate Golden Rice as a potential new way to reduce vitamin A deficiency. Golden Rice will only be made available broadly to farmers and consumers in the Philippines if it is approved by DA-BPI and shown to reduce vitamin A deficiency. This process may take another two years or more.

View IRRI's news release http://www.irri.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=12466:two-seasons-of-golden-rice-trials-in-camarines-sur-concluded&lang=en.