Rice Production Challenges to be Discussed in the IRRC

The irrigated lowland is where most of the world's rice is being grown, providing about 75% of the world's rice needs. These areas are beset with the common problems in rice production such as reemergence of pests and diseases and increasing cost of inputs. Currently these areas are also affected by problems associated with urbanization such as land conversion, reduced farm labor, and water shortage. New strategies have to be laid out in order to help rice farmers boost their production efficiency and to support  the use of new scientific and cost-reducing technologies to optimize the use of fertilizers and reduce water use.

The 3rd Steering Committee Meeting of the  Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) of the International Rice Research Institute will be hosted by the Vietnamese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to discuss the development and use of scientific technologies that will promote efficient rice production in irrigated areas. The IRRC is composed of around 60 scientists from the Philippines, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Vietnam's collaboration in IRRC in the past 10 years has improved the country's rice production through better timing, more balanced fertilizer use, and reduced water usage, and it has helped the country to become the second largest rice exporter .

For details of the press release visit: http://www.irri.org/media/press/press.asp?id=160