Ripple January-June 2013

January-June 2013 1RIPPLE

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2 www.irri.org/irrc

Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Rice Research for Intensified Production and Prosperity in Lowland Ecosystems

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Volume 8, Number 1, 23rd issue January-June 2013

continued on page 2

The past decade has shown an average rice yield increase of 1% per annum in Asia. However, to meet the growing demand for food and keep the price of rice affordable for the poor, the annual yield increase has to be around 1.5%. The gap between actual yield and attainable yield (defined as 80% of potential yield) is substantial at around 2.5 tons per hectare, according to a yield gap assessment conducted in major rice granaries of Asia.

Increasing yields can be accomplished through further intensification, but this needs to be done despite scarcity of resources (i.e., water, land, energy, labor), while minimizing the negative environmental consequences such as soil degradation, water pollution, overuse of pesticides, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) was created in 1997 to provide a venue for linkages among national agricultural research and extension systems, government agencies, nongovernment organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. The IRRC provided a partnership mechanism within the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), a CGIAR research program on rice.

The IRRC technologies such as site-specific nutrient management, alternate wetting and drying, direct seeding, improved postharvest practices, and ecologically based pest management are very successful when applied individually. In recent years, national partners have packaged individual practices into integrated management systems in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China. These programs are quite successful at the

pilot level; the challenge is to scale them out to millions of farmers.

The Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia (CORIGAP) Project will develop best management platforms to underpin the certification of farmers who implement good agricultural practices for rice or Rice GAP.

The overall objective of CORIGAP is to improve food security and gender equity and alleviate poverty by optimizing the productivity (resource-use efficiency) and sustainability of irrigated rice production systems. This will be achieved through new science-based tools and participatory methods that (1) generate evidence of increased profitability for smallholder farmers through an integrated approach to crop and natural resource management, (2)

Grant Singleton

The vision of CORIGAP

Pakkawit A

nantaya/Photos.com

RIPPLE Jan-June 2013.pdf 1 7/10/13 3:10 PM

2 RIPPLEJanuary-June 2013

The vision of CORIGAP

optimize integrated sustainable rice production systems, and (3) reduce rice yield gaps in lowland rice cropping systems by combining the outputs from (1) and (2).

Learning alliances among farmers, researchers, and extension staff from both the public and private sector will play a powerful role in this process. The project will help local partners define the indicators needed to assess the different aspects of the cropping system and value chain performance with the use of a modeling tool called the field calculator. The aim is to both optimize profit and reduce the environmental footprint of rice production in these granaries.

Increased rice yields, reduced costs of production, and reduced environmental impacts in the major rice granaries will enhance regional and global food security while at the same time alleviate poverty and protect the environment.

Specifically, the goal is to sustainably increase rice yield by 10% by 2016 in three major rice granaries and by 20% in six granaries for 500,000 smallholder farmers by 2022. This will lead to an increased income (profit) of approximately 20% for 500,000 smallholder families by 2022.

CORIGAP will primarily strengthen GRiSP Program 3Ecological and sustainable management of rice-based production systemswhile also cross-linking to the other five programs of GRiSP.

The governance structure of the CORIGAP Project consists of a regional advisory committee, a management team, country hubs, and a coordination unit.

continued from page 1

Map

by

Cor

nelia

Gar

cia



IRRC delivers sixfold economic return

A US$12 million investment in rice research by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has returned more than $70 million in benefits to rice farmers and national economies in four Asian countries, according to a new meta-impact report. The report looked at a selection of natural resource management technologies rolled out by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It aimed to see whether the technologies delivered benefits such as increased productivity for rice farmers, improved livelihood and food security, and stronger social cohesion.

We greatly appreciate the evidence of impact provided in this report, said Carmen Thoennissen, senior advisor, Global Program Food Security, SDC.

Commissioned by SDC to assess the effectiveness of its international research programs, the report is the first to look at natural resource management technologies on an international scale, encompassing several countries. Titled Meta-

Rice Research Consortium (IRRC), it shows a sixfold return on SDC investment over 16 years. This is a conservative estimate since only a subset of the farming technologies funded was assessed, and in only

has had collaborative research. Moreover, by 2016, the return on investment could skyrocket to 25 times the original investment.

It substantiates the effectiveness of SDCs focus and IRRIs work on natural resource and crop management research, its global public good nature, and will definitely guide SDCs future investment on system productivity enhancement to sustainably close yield gaps, Thoennissen added.

The meta-impact study was an independent report commissioned jointly by IRRI and SDC. The panel members who conducted the study were Dr. Rod Rejesus, an agricultural economist and impact specialist from North Carolina State University; Dr. Adrienne Martin, a specialist in social science and extension pathways from the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich; and Phrek Gypmantasiri, an agronomist from Chiang Mai University.

They concluded that the IRRC provided an important framework for partnership between national agricultural research and extension systems and the private sector in 11 Asian countries. The IRRC platform facilitated the adoption of technologies that help rice farmers to increase their individual profits and also address natural resource management challenges for lowland irrigated rice production.

Since IRRC began in 1997, it has benefited around 1.2 million farmers through rice production technologies and capacity building.

Were immensely grateful to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which provided funding to the IRRC. Without their

What has the IRRC achieved in the past 16 years?

support, all of the positive impact would not have taken place, said Dr. Grant Singleton, IRRC coordinator and senior scientist at IRRI. The IRRC, no doubt, was a good catalyst for natural resource management impacts in Asia. This was made possible through cross-country learning and forging of partnerships.

Through these also, the IRRC was able to help countries identify their rice research needs or extension priorities, and then assisted them in overcoming these challenges. The success of the IRRC in promoting natural resource management technology development and dissemination highlighted the value of a consortium-based approach, Dr. Singleton added.

A long-term investment that paid handsome dividends

The IRRC was established in 1997 with the aim of providing a platform to facilitate identification, development, dissemination, and adoption of natural resource management (NRM) technologies suitable for irrigated rice-based ecosystems in several Asian countries. After 16 years of investment, the SDC is interested

Children from a rice farming village in Bangladesh show their best smiles for the camera.

Roderick RejesusAdrienne Martin

Phrek GypmantasiriGrant Singleton

Bianca Ferrer

Photo by Grant Singleton


impact assessment of the Irrigated

4 of 11 countries where the IRRC

Untitled-1 1 7/12/13 12:43 PM


in whether IRRCs efforts resulted in meaningful impacts and whether benefits of the research outweigh the investment. A meta-impact assessment approach was used, in which the analysis of impact evidence mainly relies on existing documents (or studies), easily accessible data sources, and short field visits. The meta-impact panel undertook a multidimensional approach to assess the impact (i.e., economic, sociocultural, environmental, policy, scientific, institutional) of technologies developed and disseminated by IRRC partners, as well as to document the pathways and mechanisms that led to the successful adoption of these technologies.

The analysis suggests that the overall impact of IRRC more than compensates for the research investments made. The IRRC has been an effective international platform for strengthening NRM research in Asian irrigated rice-based systems. IRRCs institutional emphasis on partnerships, collaborations, and cross-country learning strongly contributed to the variety and magnitude of the impacts generated.

Economic impact Based on an economic surplus

analysis approach, the improved economic welfare of farmers from the adoption of IRRC technologies are impressive. Over the life of the project (19972012), the rate of returns to the total research investment ranged from 6% to 30% (or benefit-cost ratios [BCRs] ranging from 1:1 to 4:1). When considering all technologies in the surplus analysis, total research investment of around $18.5 million resulted in economic benefits of about $70.5 million. If a longer period (19972016) is considered (where the project benefits four more years to the future), the rate of returns to the total IRRC research investments would have an even

larger magnitude, ranging from 25% to 43% (or BCRs from 4:1 to 16:1). The SDC investment alone has even higher values (e.g., 1434% for 19972012 and 2946% for 19972016). These rates of return are consistent with those of existing studies that evaluated different NRM technologies. But these measures are still typically lower than the surplus measures calculated for genetic/varietal improvement (or breeding-based) research. Note, however, that the analysis here only considered a subset of NRM technologies for a select set of countries and it may be possible that the surplus measures for IRRC can come close to the varietal improvement research values when all technology-country combinations are considered.

Sociocultural, gender, institutional, and policy impacts

In general, the IRRC technologies produced tangible sociocultural, gender, institutional, and policy impacts. Common sociocultural impacts documented are improved farmer livelihoods and well-being, better food security, reduced vulnerability to adverse economic and climatic conditions,

Photo by Madonna C

asimero

Men and women farmers reap a bountiful harvest in Konawe, South Sulawesi. This area adopted site-specific nutrient management principles with other IRRC natural resource management technologies.

change in farmers beliefs about traditional agricultural practices, improved social cohesion in communities (i.e., for ecologically based rodent management and alternate wetting and drying), and reduced social conflicts.

Scientific and human resource development impacts

A total of 461 publications have been produced over the four phases of the project, and these have been cited in international literature over 5,000 times. IRRC publications evolved such that NARES partners and scientists became increasingly included in the scientific outputs as the Consortium progressed through its four phases, which is indicative of successful capacity building in partner countries.

The beneficiaries of IRRCs human development efforts have included NARES personnel, farmers, NGOs, the private sector, and students.


continued on page 7


The IRRC s human resource development efforts include training, workshops, seminars, internships, and advanced studies leading to graduate degrees (masters and doctorate degrees).


Thai farmers discuss needs with CORIGAP team

Trina Leah Mendoza

One of the six major rice granaries that the Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia (CORIGAP) Project will be focusing on is Thailand. Some people might find this surprising, given that Thailand has been a top rice exporter in the world for several decades. However, Thailands average rice production yield is low compared with other countries in the region. What they lack in yield, they make up for by their large rice planting area, with only 24% of the land irrigated. In early 2012, the Thai government pushed for their rice production to be environmentally sustainable; hence, the government requested to be part of the new project.

On 13-14 May, CORIGAP coordinator Grant Singleton and CORIGAP Thailand key scientists Ruben Lampayan and Ladda Viriyangkura conducted a needs assessment in Nakhon Sawan Province in the north with three farmers groups. (Learn more about our new CORIGAP key partner Ladda Viriyangkura on page 11). Farmers interviewed in the three villagesBan Nong Jik Ree, Ban Tale Wah, and Ban Sapan Songwere composed of seed and grain producers.

CORIGAP communication specialist Trina Mendoza also conducted a communication audit to find out the existing and preferred communication sources and tools of farmers in the project sites. She learned that the village farmers preferred posters showing real photos (e.g., of plants, pests, and diseases) as compared with cartoons or drawings. They were also eager to learn from educational videos rather than from videos with some form of entertainment.

Some clear findings that stood out from the needs assessment was that farmers experienced a 1525% yield gap and wished to increase their production efficiency (i.e., reduce

their expenses on input costs). Seed growers requested for better storage to improve quality of their seed.

In a subsequent meeting at the Rice Department of Thailand, activities for the 2013 monsoon season were planned. These included introducing the IRRI Super Bag and

Photos by Trina Mendoza

CORIGAP coordinator Grant Singleton (second from left) talks with seed and grain producers from Nong Jik Ree Village.

Ladda Viriyangkura (foreground in white shirt), the CORIGAP key scientist for Thailand, asks the women of Sapan Song Village about their rice farming needs and problems.

Thailand Rice Department staff Rasamee Dhitikiattipong (left, foreground) and Julmanee Pithuncharurnlap (second from right) translate the discussion between farmers and Ruben Lampayan (far right), CORIGAP key scientist for Thailand.

cocoon, reviewing the issues on the effect of land leveling on crop production, and preparations made to conduct household surveys.

A meeting was set for October to plan for the activities for the 2013 dry season.



Country partners from six rice bowls in Asia and IRRI scientists met for the inception and planning workshop of the new project Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia (CORIGAP) on 12-13 March at IRRI headquarters.

In his welcome remarks, Bas Bouman, Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) director, highlighted new components of CORIGAP that will add value to the IRRCs work, such as modeling tools and software to measure environmental impact.

Grant Singleton, CORIGAP coordinator, gave an overview of the project and facilitated discussions on issues such as links with rice breeding programs and the Sustainable Rice Platform.

IRRI scientists Ruben Lampayan, Martin Gummert, and

Bhagirath Chauhan presented opportunities and new research in their respective fields: water use efficiency and productivity, postharvest, and crop establishment and weed management.

Takahiro Sato, cropping systems analyst, introduced the field calculator approach, while soil chemist Sarah Beebout discussed how the project can collect evidence to be able to reduce ecological footprint of intensive lowland irrigated rice systems.

Digna Manzanilla, associate coordinator of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments, talked about how gender can be mainstreamed into project activities, while value chain specialist Matty Demont discussed business models and pathways to better market models.

Workshop to kick-start CORIGAP held at IRRICommunication specialist Trina

Mendoza presented communication activities in 2013, while Reianne Quilloy guided participants in using the CORIGAP Project Google site. The participants were also given a demonstration on using WebEx for web-based meetings.

Partners from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and China developed and presented activity plans for 2013.

In his closing remarks, David Johnson, Crop and Environmental Sciences Division head, said that not all national programs of South and Southeast Asia may be involved in CORIGAP, but achieving tremendous impact in these six countries would mean a great deal in improving farmers livelihoods, food security, and environmental sustainability in Asia.


Impact pathways, process evaluation, and policy influence

The continuity of IRRC over its 15-year period fostered trust among country partners and, in turn, provided the necessary stability to encourage participating researchers to be creative, share ideas, develop concepts, and test new approaches in an interdisciplinary fashion.

Analysis of the impact pathways for the different technologies shows a wealth of country-specific strategies used for increasing knowledge and access to these technologies and for promoting farmer uptake. Greater impact was realized where there are strong multistakeholder groupings and/or local technology champions. The IRRC demonstrated a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness to the lessons learned throughout the four phases of the project.

IRRCs position as a consortium established a wide stakeholder interest group and created a direct connection to country policy and research/extension practice which,

in its absence, would have been difficult for IRRI researchers to achieve for multiple countries.

Lessons learnedThe panel concluded

that the IRRC should be commended for the resources that were devoted to documenting the different impacts of the technologies developed and disseminated. The number of studies that use both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the impacts of various technologies in different partner countries is quite impressive.

The panel also determined

could be more persuasive if the following were undertaken: (a) further investigation of the heterogeneity of impacts across different groups of farmers and/or stakeholders, and by gender; (b) more use of state-of-the-art

impact assessment methodologies to examine further the economic and sociocultural impacts of IRRC technologies and account for such issues as selection bias; and (c) investment of more effort in assessing the take-up and adoption numbers for high-potential IRRC technologies across all countries.


Trina Leah Mendoza

A farmer from the Me Linh District in Hanoi, Vietnam, uses a leaf color chart to determine his crops nitrogen status.

The text is lifted from the executive summary of the IRRC meta-impact assessment. Read more about it at http://books.irri.org/9789712202971_content.pdf .


that assessment work of the IRRC


U Soe Moe Kyaws family was fishing in a different village when Cyclone Nargis hit their township in May 2008 with unexpectedly devastating effects. He lost several of his relatives, including his wife and child. As his family suffered a tragic loss, they stopped fishing and turned to rice farming in their village, vowing to always be close to their home and loved ones in case another catastrophe strikes.

However, their village in Labutta Township near the river is prone to saltwater intrusion, and rice crops could never survive during the dry season. Thus, he and many other farmers in the lower Ayeyarwady Delta can only plant one rice crop per year during the wet season, growing mostly traditional low-yielding varieties, since adapted, modern varieties are usually not available.

During the wet season, farmers experience floods frequently.

IRRI is now working with Myanmars Department of

Department of Agriculture, and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) Welthungerhilfe, Mercy Corps, and GRET to enable farmers to cope with climate change in rice production along the coastal areas of Ayeyarwady Delta.

Funded by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) Project aims to improve food security and the livelihoods of 1,500

particularly in the Labutta, Bogale, and Mawlamyinegyun townships.

Activities of the 3-year project include farmers participatory varietal selection (PVS) of high-yielding varieties for favorable areas and stress-tolerant varieties for the salt- and flood-prone areas, postharvest management practices, adaptive crop management practices, and capacity building of NGOs and local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) staff in rice agronomy and rice-based farming systems .

Farmers in these townships will not just be provided with higher yielding rice varieties that can withstand floods and salt-water; they are given the power to choose the right varieties for them through the PVS process.

Usually, conventional breeding programs test varieties in research stations, which do not represent farmers fields. Furthermore, farmers are often consulted only at the end of the process, when newly released varieties are evaluated in on-farm demonstration trials. Also, varietal release systems prioritize grain yield, while farmers look for other traits when choosing varieties. Thus, often enough, varieties developed by breeders do not match the farmers needs and criteria in choosing varieties.

With PVS, breeders, agronomists, and agricultural extension staff learn which varieties perform well on-station and on-farm. Farmers, on the other hand, are involved in the selection process from planning to the final selection stage.

The LIFT Project conducted

Farmers choicePh

oto

by R

omeo

Lab

ios

Trina Leah Mendoza

Labutta farmers prepare portions of the top selected varieties for sensory evaluation.

Phot

o by

Tri

na M

endo

za

U Soe Moe Kyaw, a farmer from the township of Labutta, shares his experience in joining the participatory varietal selection.


rice-producing households,

Agricultural Research (DAR),



PVS trials in the wet and dry seasons of 2012-13 in farmers fields in Bogale, Labutta, and Mawlamyinegyun. Researcher-managed or mother trials were set up in 15 selected villages, comparing nine salt-tolerant rice varieties, two high-yielding varieties, and the farmers variety during the dry season of 2012-13. Three of these villages are classified as freshwater areas, while the rest are moderate to heavy salinity-prone areas.

Male and female farmers, agricultural extension staff, and researchers participated in preference analyses to evaluate and select the top three or four most preferred varieties. Among the traits the farmers preferred were tolerance for saltwater or floods, early maturity, resistance to pest and diseases, uniform plant height, good tillering, more spikelets per panicle, and bigger grain size.

The eating and cooking qualities of the selected top varieties were assessed through sensory evaluation. In choosing the best cooked sample, the traits that farmers liked were good aroma, white color, glossy finish, cohesiveness, and good taste. Results of the preference analysis and sensory evaluation, along with grain yield, were the basis in identifying the best performing and suitable varieties in the locality. These varieties were recommended for seed multiplication that will be used in the next phase of PVSthe farmer-managed trials or baby trials.

These varieties will then be multiplied at DAR in Yezin and other seed production centers of the

will be given to farmers interested in participating in the PVS farmer-manager trials. Each farmer-partner will select 13 new varieties and receive 510 kilograms of seeds to be planted in his or her farm. To sustain the availability of good-

quality seeds in the community, selected farmers will produce seeds in their farms with guidance from technical project staff. DAR will provide them with foundation or registered seeds.

Although it is only the second season that farmers are trying PVS, they already have insights and experiences to share. U Soe Moe Kyaw and his father U Hla Than have identified their preferred varieties. For my crops to avoid the harsh saltwater in April, we just need to plant in December instead of January, one month earlier in the dry season, U Soe Moe Kyaw added.

This will ensure that their preferred salt-tolerant varieties will be harvested before the salinity level of the river water gets too high, explains IRRI Myanmar representative Madonna Casimero.

Dr. Casimero and PVS consultant Romeo Labios, both agronomists, agree that adjusting the cropping calendar will allow farmers to plant another crop in the dry season, avoiding the high salinity levels in the months of March and April, and help them earn more income. Already, the PVS trials are providing a glimmer of hope for these farmers, who are used to relying on one rice crop per year for their food and livelihood.

Farmers choice

A Bogale Township farmer evaluates and selects her top four most preferred rice varieties.

Farmers in Labutta Township write down their assessment of the eating andcooking quality of the selected top varieties.

Photo by Rom

eo Labios

Photo by Rom

eo Labios


Department in the delta. The seeds


continued on page 12

He knew early on what career he wanted to pursuenot many are that lucky. For Roderick Rejesus, a Filipino professor of agricultural economics at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) in the USA, there was no question on the path he wanted to take.

As a student in high school, the subject of economics held a certain brand of interest for Dr. Rejesus. I was interested in the logic of it, he explains. Theres an elegant explanation to a phenomenon. Theres a logical, mathematical, or graphical model behind whatever human behavior its explaining. Thats the attraction to me.

He went on to study his bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics at the University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB). After graduating with honors from UPLB in 1992, he pursued his masters degree at Clemson University, South Carolina, USA.

By 2001, he finished his PhD in agricultural economics

from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He first worked as a researcher at Tarleton State University in Texas, then was given a teaching and research appointment at Texas Tech University before finally moving to North Carolina.

Dr. Rejesus currently serves as an associate professor at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in NCSU. One of his main areas of research is impact assessment of agricultural technologies.

It is this expertise that led the IRRC to commission Dr. Rejesus to do an external review of the Consortium. He led a team of three independent consultants to evaluate the various dimensions of impact that the IRRC activities and programs had over the past 16 years.

He presented the results of the meta-impact study in a seminar held in IRRI headquarters on 18 April. He concluded that the overall economic welfare impact of the IRRC more than compensates for

the research investments that were made by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and other donors. The partnerships, collaboration, and cross-country learning activities of the IRRC contributed to the range and magnitude of the impact the Consortium has made.

Rona Nia Rojas-Azucena

The consortium-approach may be a good model for agricultural institutions involved in the research and outreach of natural resource management, he concludes.

The math-y professorDr. Rejesus credits his parents

who are both former professors of entomology in UPLBfor the highly academic environment he had growing up in Los Baos. It was what influenced his path in becoming a professor. It may not be the most lucrative profession, he admits, but he loves the fact that he largely controls his own time. As long as, in the end, I have my output or publication.

Dr. Rejesus is very supportive of students who plan to pursue higher studies in economics. When asked how he would like potential students to prepare for it, his response is straightforward, Take more math! And statistics! He laughs as he says this, but the conviction behind it is not diminished.

He motivates his students and advisees to work very hard to improve their skills and team up with other students. He encourages them to participate in conferences and seminars to develop a professional mentality. I want to teach them to be professional. If they learn how to be one, I feel better knowing that when they graduate, they could handle themselves and accomplish what is expected of them.

As a researcher, a different type of satisfaction is achieved whenever he gets published in a reputable journal or sees his research publication cited by somebody else.

Of relevance and balanceDr. Rejesus always looks at the

trade-offs, the benefits and costs, in daily life. That is how the economist

A model of balancePROFILE

Rod Rejesus, with his wife and kids, during a Christmas holiday. His wife, Janina, is a Filipina nurse working in the US.

Phot

o by

Rom

ulo

Pere

z



For the past three decades, Thailand has been the worlds biggest rice exporter. In 2008, the country focused its efforts on encouraging farmers to produce rice that is grown using good agricultural practices (GAP). This means a shift toward efficiently producing sufficient, safe, and nutritious food while sustaining and enhancing natural resources. Guidelines were developed on the best pre- and postharvest practices to raise standards and certify farmers who meet all criteria.

Ladda Viriyangkura is at the heart of all these changes. Ladda is a senior specialist on rice inspection and certification at the Bureau of Rice Products Development of the Thailand Rice Department. Her main tasks are to develop inspection and certification systems for rice production and rice products and to integrate international guidelines into the Rice Departments current working system.

Majority of Thai farmers still do not understand the mechanics of certification and inspection. We still need to educate them, says Ladda. GAP in Thailand has been implemented since 2004, and we are quite advanced compared with other countries. But in Asia, food safety still needs to be impressed on consumers and producers. Farmers are more concerned with having enough food rather than safe food. But Thai farmers are starting to become aware of food safety, Ladda explains.

Ladda says the Rice Department does not expect all farmers to be involved in certification, but it encourages farmers to follow GAP to boost production yield. She clarifies that Thailand is a top rice exporter because of its large rice production area, but Thai farmers

average yield is relatively lower than in other countries in the region.

Many farmers in the central area rent land and, in the northeast, majority are small-scale farmers with an average of 1 to 2 hectares of farm land, Ladda shares. They cannot depend on rice farming for their livelihoodthey leave their farms to work in Bangkok driving taxis, then go back just in time for harvesting. The fields are left behind and not managed well, resulting in lower incomes, she explains.

Farmers are more concerned with eating quality, not increase in yield, and there are very poor farmers in the rainfed area with limited irrigation, she adds.

In Nakhon Sawan Province in central Thailand, Ladda shares that farmers grow rice all throughout the year, resulting in problems of pests and diseases, and soil and water pollution. These factors and the fact that farmers there are willing to participate in research activities were some reasons for choosing certain villages in the province as sites of the Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia (CORIGAP) Project. Ladda serves as the key partner for CORIGAP in Thailand.

Together with Grant Singleton, CORIGAP coordinator, and Ruben Lampayan, water management specialist and CORIGAP key scientist for Thailand, they visited the province in May and conducted

focus group discussions with

Trina Leah Mendoza

farmers to assess their needs. Ladda knows the plight of

Thai farmers well since she started her career at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) fresh out of college, with a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from Kasetsart University, Bangkok. She was stationed at the Lopburi Rice Seed Center, one of the 23 centers of the department, when she received a scholarship to study in the US. Ladda completed her masters degree in seed technology from Mississippi State University and returned to the Seed Division of the DOAE (which was transferred to the Rice Department in 2004) with a changed perspective on rice product development. I wanted to add value to rice and

Setting standards

continued on page 12

PROFILE

Ladda (fifth from the left) and CORIGAP coordinator Grant Singleton (right) conduct a needs assessment in Nakhon Sawan Province.

Ladda Viriyangkura, in her government officer uniform, serves as a key scientist in Thailand for the CORIGAP Project.

Photo by Trina Mendoza



Volume 8, Number 1January-June 2013

This newsletter is produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The IRRC promotes international links among scientists, managers, communicators, and farmers in lowland irrigated rice environments.

Materials in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official views of IRRI, SDC, or collaborating institutions of the IRRC.

EditorsGrant Singleton, Trina Leah Mendoza

Rona Nia Mae Rojas-Azucena

CoPY Editor Tess Rola

LAYoUtRona Nia Mae Rojas-Azucena

CirCULAtioNJennifer Hernandez

Please direct further correspondence, comments, and

contributions to

trina Leah MendozaSenior Communication Specialist

International Rice Research InstituteDAPO Box 7777

Metro Manila, PhilippinesEmail: [email protected]: www.irri.org/irrc


viewpoint extends to his personal life. His drive and passion for what he does has earned him numerous awards, citations, and publications.

He says that, over time, he learned that he has to do what is relevant to people. As you grow older, you want your work to matter, not just academically, but also to real people. He points out that the work done in IRRI is just like thattechnologies that make a difference in peoples lives, that is.

However, when it comes to his greatest accomplishment, Dr. Rejesus states that it is the sense of balance that he now feels he achieved in life. He is grateful that his familyespecially his wife and childrenand career are doing alright.

That kind of balance I have in my career and personal life is an achievement in itself.

He wants to see his children finish college and become productive citizens. For himself, his medium-term goal is to be appointed as a full professor in NCSU. Just to be recognized by your peers that you are a good academicthats the respect you want, says Dr. Rejesus.

Its more funSpending time with the family,

traveling, going to the gym, and diving, shares Dr. Rejesus on the things he does to relax and have fun. As an avid diver, he visits the beach whenever he has the chance, especially when in the Philippines.

With his wife and three young children, they travel to wherever the children can have the most fun. That usually means amusement parks, landmark areas, and the common tourist destinations in the US.

Does he plan to come back to the Philippines? Dr. Rejesus says not in the immediate future. But, definitely, I plan to retire here. Its more fun in the Philippines!

Setting standardsmake people know rice as more than food for consumption, but rather as a new health food product that is significantly nutritious, she shares.

Her role at the Rice Department has taken her to different parts of the world, attending training courses and seminars on seed and food safety and quality control in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Japan, and the US. She particularly enjoyed the Netherlands, not only because the people are nice, friendly, and helpful but also this country, though small,

is regarded the kitchen of Europe. They export to other countries and their production is so high, and they have a good agricultural and control system, says Ladda.

With all her responsibilities, Ladda finds it difficult to squeeze in time for jogging, which she used to do every day in the US as a student and while she was stationed in the province. Now, she tries to run on the treadmill during weekends and relaxes at night by watching TV or reading.

Ladda believes that the Rice Department and farmers still have much work to do. Many people misunderstand GAP, she says. GAP does not mean certification; it means producing good, safe products using best practices, leading to better quality. If farmers follow, they will gain benefits, Ladda explains.

With Ladda setting the bar high as key partner of their country, the progress of CORIGAP activities in Thailand will surely be exciting to watch in the coming years.

A model of balance


Rod Rejesus loves to go diving whenever he gets the chance. The town of Anilao in Batangas, Philippines, is one of his favorite diving spots.

Phot

o by

Zig

gy A

bella


Ripple January-June 2013

Documents

Transcript of Ripple January-June 2013