Biotech Updates

Indonesian Farmers to Gain Access to Paddy Seeds Resistant to Hoppers and Bacterial Blights

April 19, 2017

Indonesian farmers may have access to paddy seeds resistant to hoppers and bacterial blights in the next few years, according to Syngenta Indonesia president director Parveen Kathuria. He said that a new product is under testing by the Agriculture Ministry, which might be commercially available in 2019.

"The Indonesian government is very stringent with regulatory requirements, on how much the production will bring new value. That's why it takes a lot of time to bring a new variety, especially in rice," Kathuria said. He discussed that Syngenta R&D teams have been working on developing resistance to leafhoppers and bacterial blights in the past six years. They will also produce rice-protecting herbicides in 2018.

Read the original article in The Jakarta Post. For more information about crops and products developed by Syngenta, visit their website.