Nari partners with institute to develop rice

By PETER ESILA
THE National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) has partnered with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to ensure PNG achieves rice self-sufficiency by 2030.
The country imports 400,000 tonnes of rice every year.
Nari director-general Dr Nelson Simbiken who signed a memorandum of understanding with IRRI interim director-general Ajay Kohli in Port Moresby last week said there was land for growing rice. “We have the upland rice, dryland rice, or the paddy-field or irrigated rice that we can grow,” Simbiken said.
Kohli said it should not be just about increasing productivity but also quality.
“The rice grains must have more minerals, protein, and resistant starch. And the way it is going, in the next 10 years, rice will be the healthiest staple.”
Working with in-country partners, the institute develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and can better withstand pests and disease.
“The IRRI has a history of seeing that happen, with countries like Korea for example. In the 1970s, Korea was receiving development aid, and now Korea gives US$45 billion (about K169.2bil) worth of development aid to different countries. They say the reason for that is because of the rice they got from IRRI.”
“That has been the story in Vietnam, Thailand, India, China, Bangladesh, while Indonesia have achieved self-sufficiency recently.”