S. Asia boosts rice output<\/p>\n
LOS BANOS, Philippines (AFP): South and Southeast Asia's less
\nhospitable rain-fed lands are likely to start in efforts to boost
\nrice harvests and ease a projected supply crunch by the turn of
\nthe century, scientists say.<\/p>\n
Agronomists at the International Rice Research Institute
\n(IRRI) here say that these non-irrigated lands will be the source
\nof the world's next potential miracle rice seed, which they are
\nfeverishly trying to develop.<\/p>\n
Harvests in irrigated farms, which account for 75 percent of
\nthe world's total rice output, have already reached their plateau
\nat 6.5 to seven tons per hectare (acre), even with the aid of the
\nmost modern scientific techniques.<\/p>\n
With population growth out-pacing production, attention is now
\nfocused on breaching the yield barrier in the rain-fed lowlands
\nand flood-prone fields of Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal,
\nPakistan and Sri Lanka as well as parts of Southeast Asia such as
\nCambodia.<\/p>\n
They comprise 40 percent of the world's rice-producing area
\nbut account for only 25 percent of the total harvests of 520
\nmillion tons annually.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/s-asia-boosts-rice-output-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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