Recognizing the importance of developing new varieties to bring the production capacity of rice in a climate change-challenged world, the Philippines is strongly supporting the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) proposal to the ASEAN +3 (Japan, Korea, China).
“The Philippines, being the host country of IRRI, will reiterate its strong support to its proposal to the 41st ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting, hoping that Korea, Japan, and China can really come together and significantly push forward this initiative,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar during a bilateral meeting held on October 14, 2019 in Brunei Darussalam.
IRRI’s proposal hopes to bring the ASEAN +3 to be involved in the selection and the development of new rice varieties that are resilient to multiple environmental stresses, pest and diseases thereby elevating the production capacity in the region.
“We need to combine these strengths and to have the right rice varieties that can adapt to all potential scenarios and also meet the market readiness and expectation acknowledging that in Southeast Asia consumers have particular preferences,” said IRRI Director General Matthew Morell.
Morell added that the IRRI’s proposal is set to build a comprehensive testing and selection that is also backed up by training capacity for its national partners.
“We are not just transferring these new varieties but we are doing it with the national partners for them to conduct it themselves,” he added.
The Philippines, represented by Secretary Dar, will endorse and motion IRRI’s proposal during the ministerial meeting on October 15 hoping that it will secure strong support from the +3 countries. ### (Rita T. dela Cruz, DA Communications Group)
