Japan To Transfer Rice Technology

HANOI, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Japan will transfer its most advanced technology to help develop new rice varieties in the midland and mountainous areas of northern Vietnam, reports Vietnam News Agency An agreement for the technical cooperation project was signed on Oct 27 by Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam, Tsuno Motonori, and Rector of Hanoi University of Agriculture, Tran Duc Vien. The five-year, US$4.6 million project aims to help Vietnam achieve long-term and nationwide food security. The new technology and equipment will allow scientists to produce new and improved rice varieties for all regions in the country. "In this project, we will transfer our rice breeding selection method with DNA Marker Assisted Selection, our most advanced technology, to the Hanoi University of Agriculture," said Motonori. "With such technology, we aim to produce rice varieties with short growing time, high yields and high disease resistance that can adapt to the natural conditions of the midlands and mountainous areas in the north," added Motonori. Rice production in the midlands and mountainous areas can meet the needs of only 70 percent of the population. Productivity is still low, with 40 percent of the land area used to grow only one crop per year. Although it is a rice export country, Vietnam is still facing food security challenges. More rice is needed to meet the growing population which is growing at a rate of one percent per year in Vietnam