Biotech Updates

Nepal and CIMMYT Harvest Fruits of Partnership

December 17, 2010

After more than 20 years of consolidated effort to boost maize and wheat yield, Nepal and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) are now reaping the fruits of their hard work. The yields of wheat has improved by 85%, and the maize yield increased by 36%. This further resulted to improved lives of farmers in remote mountain areas.

For instance, a villager named Bissu Maya experienced improvement in her farm income after the Hill Maize Research Program (HMRP) involved her in planting maize varieties suited for the location of her farm. Since then, her harvest grew from 20-50%. "Now I have enough food and can sell some surplus to pay for my children's education," she said.

"The partnership that CIMMYT has maintained over the past 25 years with our research and development institutions in Nepal has been very useful and of significant value to increase maize and wheat production in the country" says Dr. K.K. Lal, one of the very first CIMMYT maize trainees and former Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Nepal. "This partnership should continue and be strengthened".

Visit http://www.cimmyt.org/en/about-us/media-resources/newsletter/869-nepal-cimmyt-partnerships-reach-the-unreachable for the complete story.