Thailand – Rice for a better life
One of the biggest projects in Thailand is Farmers’ Friend, which is part of the Big Trees project. It has an agreement with the Yasothon Organic Farmers’ Cooperative under Earth Net Foundation to buy its rice.
Dawn of a new era in rice improvement
Compiled by Gene Hettel from GigaScience articles and additional interviews
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Traditional rice varieties encompass a huge range of potentially valuable genes. These can be used to develop superior varieties for farmers to take part in the uphill battle of feeding an ever-increasing world population (estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050).
The seven samurai of Latin American rice improvement
They’re not the biggest rice producers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). But, like the seven samurai of the famous 1954 adventure fi lm, they’re certainly among the boldest, and they fight hard to improve the lot of rice-growing communities.
Phiippine – Another rice variety ready for release
A year after releasing the world’s first zinc-enriched rice variety, Bangladeshi breeders have come up with another rice variety with higher zinc content and greater yield potentials.
Guyana – Guyana seals Panama rice deal
The booming local rice industry has been in need of new markets.
Japan – When storks arrive, you’re growing good rice, Hyogo farmers discover
A group of farmers in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, that practices environment-friendly rice cultivation techniques views the arrival of storks as a sign they are growing a good product.
Vietnam – Vietnamese rice prices hit 3-year high record
Prices of Vietnamese rice for export hit three-year high record in July, ranging between 420- 465 U.S. dollars per ton (the highest is for 5-percent-broken rice) , reported the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) on its website on Thursday.
Thailand – Thailand looking to produce ethanol from rotten rice stocks – officials
Govt looking for way to make use of rotten rice. Costs of rice-made ethanol may be too high -association. Ethanol would need govt support to offset costs -association.
India – GI-tagged rice varieties to get a boost
The government has chalked out plans to promote the cultivation of four special traditional rice varieties in the State that have been included in the Geographical Indications (GI) registry of India.
African rice sequenced: A genome to feed the world
An international team of scientists led by the UA has sequenced the genome of African rice.