Deputy Prime Minister for Rural Development, Hanoi, Viet Nam
Ms Minister of Agriculture of Bangladesh, Mr Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Representative of FAO, Mr Representative of IRRI, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour that Viet Nam has been chosen by FAO to host the Workshop on Policy Support for Rapid Adoption of Hybrid Rice on Large-Scale Production in Asia. On behalf of the Government of Viet Nam, I warmly welcome to this important workshop the Minister of Agriculture from Bangladesh, the officials from FAO in Rome and in Hanoi, the representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Asian Crops Association, China, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Indonesia, and the hybrid rice scientists, in particular Professor Yuan Long Ping, renowned for his work on hybrid rice in China and the world.
Overcoming hunger and poverty and improving food security is a major challenge for many countries and international organizations. The World Food Summit affirmed to do all possible in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Food production, including rice, has seen encouraging results worldwide, particularly in Viet Nam. The world's average rice output during 1997-99 was about 580 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of 10 percent compared to the period 1989-1991. Since 1989, Viet Nam has not only produced enough rice to satisfy domestic demand but has also exported 30 Mt and earned US$7 billion. This positive outcome has assisted the process of hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, national food security and economic development. This is an important achievement for Viet Nam, a country plagued by a food deficit for centuries, including the 1945 famine which caused the death of 2 million Vietnamese farmers.
However, there are still 800 million hungry people in the world with a dietary intake oscillating between 100 and 400 calories a day. Food production, including rice, faces numerous constraints: land lost to urban development, natural calamities and the slow evolution of new technologies. Overcoming hunger, poverty and malnutrition is still a challenge for many countries. Rice production needs further resources for the sustainable increase of economic efficiency, and effective solutions must be found to protect the environment and people's health. The rapid large-scale adoption of hybrid rice is receiving increased attention from many Asian countries. I am very happy that this Workshop is focused on this topic.
In recent years, hybrid rice production in Viet Nam has shown encouraging results. The hybrid rice area increased from 100 ha in 1991 to 340 000 ha in 2000 and may reach 400 000 ha in 2001. Yield has increased from the 1.5 t/ha of conventional rice to 2.0 t/ha. Hybrid rice has been planted in most of the poor and mountainous areas of Viet Nam, contributing to food self-sufficiency, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation. The area for F1 seed production has increased from 170 to 1 300 ha with good yield, high quality and low production costs, but in 2000 only 13 percent of the demand for F1 seed was met. Parental lines have now been purified and those with the highest yield have been selected. Research is oriented towards the development and evaluation of new three-line hybrids and the application of two-line hybrid rice technology.
These achievements were made with the help of FAO, IRRI, China and other friends, but Viet Nam also has a renewed impetus on policy initiatives for F1 hybrid rice production and application:
National and provincial seed programmes have been approved. The Government has invested in the construction of national and provincial research and testing institutions for hybrid rice.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) spends 6 million dong/ha a year to support the F1 seed production agencies.
Agencies producing F1 seed can obtain low-interest loans (0.5%/month). Farm households producing seed are given support (e.g. parental seed, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation). The seed produced is purchased at fair prices.
Seed trading companies have favourable conditions for the import and distribution of seed and pay only 5 percent VAT.
During the early stages, farmers' production costs for hybrid seed are subsidized as follows: 30 percent to favourable areas, 50 percent to difficult areas and 100 percent to mountainous and minority areas.
Viet Nam hopes to learn more from the experiences of other countries in order to further increase the production of rice, in particular hybrid rice.
I wish to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government and people of Viet Nam, to express our gratitude to FAO, international organizations, governments and scientists from other countries and IRRI, for the development of Viet Nam's agriculture in general, and of hybrid rice in particular.
FAO Representative in Hanoi, Viet Nam
Honourable Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Honourable Minister for Agriculture in Bangladesh, Senior Agricultural Policy-Makers of the Member Countries of the Project on Hybrid Rice Development and Use in Asia, Distinguished Scientists and Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), I wish to welcome you to the Workshop on Policy Support for Rapid Adoption of Hybrid Rice on Large-Scale Production in Asia, jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Viet Nam, FAO and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), under the framework of the International Task Force for Hybrid Rice (INTAFOHR). I would also like to thank the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for hosting this Workshop.
Rice is the staple food crop of the population of Asia. Rice production and post-production activities have created rural employment opportunities for millions of small farmer families in the region. The new generation of high-yielding varieties, spearheaded by IR8 and developed at IRRI in the Philippines in the early 1960s, and the subsequent policy support of the governments in the region, led to the Green Revolution in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s.
As a result of the Green Revolution, rice production in Asia has so far been able to meet the demands of the growing population. Several Asian countries can now afford to export a substantial quantity of rice to alleviate shortages in other regions, thus contributing to world food security. Since 1990, however, rice production in the region has decelerated considerably. The annual rice production growth rate was 2.6 percent in the 1980s and 1.5 percent during the 1990s. At the same time, the annual growth rate of the Asian population was 1.9 percent during the 1990s. Several factors have contributed to the recent decline in the growth rate of rice production in the region: stagnation of the yield potential of high-yielding varieties, land lost to urban and industrial development, depletion of the resource base and demographic pressure.
This deceleration is cause for concern in terms of food security for the region's population and there is an urgent need to reverse the trend. In response to this need, FAO, after years of monitoring China's successful hybrid rice programme, has actively promoted this technology. It has worked closely with IRRI and national research and development facilities, first and foremost within the context of the International Rice Commission. In 1995, FAO, IRRI and NARS (National Agricultural Research System) established the International Task Force for Hybrid Rice (INTAFOHR) to promote the development and use of hybrid rice. Furthermore, the activities of INTAFOHR have generated consistent support and commitment from governments in the region, FAO, IRRI, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), ADB (Asian Development Bank) and other institutions. To date, a number of hybrid rice combinations have been developed. They have more potential than the high-yielding varieties and are available for cultivation in farmers' fields. In fact, these new varieties have been adopted by many farmers in Viet Nam, India and, to a lesser extent, other countries in the region. Hybrid rice technology is now mature and needs to be made readily available to the majority of farmers. The large-scale adoption of high-yielding hybrid rice would reduce the environmentally negative effects of highly-intensive rice production systems, improve production efficiency and free land for agricultural diversification. The manpower requirements of F1 seed production would also generate long-term employment opportunities in rural areas.
The Green Revolution, which took place in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s, would not have been possible without the full commitment of governments in the region. During the 1970s and 1980s, many institutions or special programmes were established by Asian governments to specifically promote the development of high-yielding varieties and accompanied crop management practices suitable for different agro-ecological environments of rice production. Moreover, governments in the region have consistently provided support and incentives for: seed production; extension programmes to transfer results of new rice technologies to farmers; irrigation infrastructure; road networks for transport of production inputs of rice from farmers' fields to markets; and credit on favourable terms.
Rapid dissemination of hybrid rice technologies will require continuous commitment and support from governments in the region. The large-scale adoption of hybrid rice depends on the establishment of institutions or special programmes devoted specifically to the development of hybrid rice varieties and accompanied crop management practices suitable for the agro-ecological environments of rice production in each country. Such institutions or special programmes need to be equipped with a sufficient number of well-trained scientists and researchers.
The Green Revolution experience demonstrates that the adoption rate of hybrid rice can also be expedited if supported in terms of credit, input supply and transfer of technology through government policies. The agricultural production and development trend in Asia has undergone substantial changes since 1970. In particular, the private sector and other civil bodies are increasingly involved in agricultural research and development. Investments made by private companies in hybrid rice research, F1 seed production and technology transfer have greatly increased during recent decades. The synergy between government efforts and the participation of the private sector in hybrid rice development and use could be enhanced with incentives for collaboration and integration.
Rice is a major concern of FAO, and I would like to assure you of its commitment in this area. The rapid adoption of hybrid rice in the region is essential for the reversal of the recent deceleration in the growth of sustainable rice production. I have no doubt that this Workshop will lead to a successful deliberation on the policy issues and opportunities for expediting the adoption of hybrid rice in the region.
Plant Breeder cum Deputy Head, Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biochemistry Division, IRRI, Los Baños, Philippines
Honourable Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Honourable Minister for Agriculture in Bangladesh, Mr Chairman and Distinguished Delegates,
On behalf of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and our Director-General, Dr R.P. Cantrell, I welcome you all to the Workshop on Policy Support for Rapid Adoption of Hybrid Rice on Large-Scale Production in Asia, held in Hanoi, Viet Nam from 22 to 23 May 2001. I express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Viet Nam for arranging this meeting under the umbrella of the Project "Development and Use of Hybrid Rice in Asia", which since 1998 has been funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and coordinated by IRRI. The goal of this project is to expedite the development and use of hybrid rice in six Asian countries - namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam - which are interested in using this technology to increase rice yield beyond the yield level of semi-dwarf varieties. The project is coordinated by IRRI in close collaboration with FAO, the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) and China. We are extremely happy that China is represented at this meeting by Professor Yuan Long Ping, the father of hybrid rice, who has been able to spare time despite his busy schedule.
The major objectives of the IRRI-ADB project are to:
strengthen the capabilities of the six member countries for applied and strategic research; and
strengthen the hybrid seed production capacity of public, private and NGO-based seed industries in selected member countries which have started commercializing this technology.
During the past three years, the project has helped member countries:
develop the human resources required to generate the technology;
establish or strengthen national hybrid rice research and seed production programmes in member countries;
establish an international network on hybrid rice;
conduct ex-ante and impact-related socio-economic surveys on hybrid rice in member countries; and
identify technical and policy constraints to large-scale promotion of the technology.
For large-scale adoption by farmers of any technology, the support of policy-makers is essential. Therefore, the project has made provisions to promote dialogue between technology experts and policy-makers from member countries to create awareness of the benefits of the technology and tackle policies which hinder the promotion of hybrid rice. This Workshop is organized to achieve this purpose. We are extremely grateful for your interest and participation and hope to make recommendations for the expeditious development and large-scale adoption of hybrid rice technology in member countries, which would contribute towards food security in Asia.
1. National hybrid rice programmes need well-defined policies to provide financial support for research, seed production, extension agencies and other related issues.
2. Hybrid rice development programmes in member countries should be implemented with a "mission mode" approach. This calls for the mobilization and involvement of all stakeholders.
3. Member countries should have an effective mechanism to coordinate all aspects of hybrid rice development.
4. Member countries should identify the major target areas for hybrid rice cultivation and seed production, in order to clearly define their strategies and plans of action including intensive training.
5. Member countries should develop short-term and long-term programmes with clear, specific and achievable goals.
6. Member countries should provide a positive environment (including incentives) for public, private and NGO seed companies involved in the development and marketing of hybrid rice technology. The quality of hybrid seed, especially genetic purity, is essential. Therefore, member countries should implement strict seed certification standards for hybrid rice.
7. Continued commitment of international agencies, such as IRRI, FAO and APSA, is fundamental for the rapid development and large-scale adoption of hybrid rice technology.
8. IRRI should organize a meeting to discuss germplasm exchange for hybrid rice among member countries.
9. The IRRI-ADB project on hybrid rice should be continued and enhanced.
