IRRI, Thursday, September 29, 2016

Figure: Photo by Rene Guevarra

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The lack of good-quality seed is one the major constraints in rice production in many developing countries. In many poor rice-growing countries, the farmers rely heavily on farmer-saved seed for their crop production rather than commercial seed produced by the private sector.

Unlike commercial seed, farmers’ seed is not certified by government authorities to ensure the best possible harvest.  By providing seed with inferior quality, the farmers themselves may be unintentionally contributing to food insecurity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Knowledge of the technical aspects of seed production and understanding the benefits of using quality seed are important aspects of enhancing the seed systems and the use of quality seed among farmers to improve their food security.
 

To bridge the gap, the Training and Impact Acceleration Units of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and IRRI Education conducted the Quality breeder and foundation seed course for researchers, seed inspectors, and seed producers. The course was developed by IRRI in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

See more: http://news.irri.org/2016/09/jica-and-irri-ignites-seed-revolution.html