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By APD writer Melo M. Acuña
**MANILA, Oct. 16 (APD) ** – The Philippines expressed its support to moves to develop new rice varieties to bring the production capacity of rice in a climate change-challenged world.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the Philippines strongly supports the International Rice Research Institute’s 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 October 14,2019 in Brunei Darussalam.
IRRI’s proposal hopes to bring the ASEAN +3 to be involved in the selection and development of new rice varieties that are resistant to multiple environmental stresses, pests, and diseases to further increase the region’s production capacity.
“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.
He said IRRI’s proposal is set to build 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 Philippine delegation led by Secretary Dar is scheduled to endorse IRRI’s proposal during their ministerial meeting hoping it will secure strong support from ASEAN, Korea, Japan, and China.
(Cover: Philippine Agriculture Secretary William Dollente Dar (left) meets IRRI Director General Matthew Morell at the sidelines of the 41st AMAF Meeting in Brunei Darussalam. /Department of Agriculture Photo)
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
