IRRI scientist receives Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for outstanding research

Dr. Arvind Kumar receives the award from Minister of State for Agriculture Molhanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya (in deep khaki Nehru jacket).

Arvind Kumar, IRRI senior scientist, received the prestigious Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for Outstanding Research in Agricultural Sciences 2014 from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) during the celebration of ICAR's Foundation Day on 25 July in Patna, India.

Dr. Kumar was honored for his outstanding research under the area of crop sciences. Specifically, he was recognized for his significant contribution to increased rice production in rainfed environments, which are most susceptible to climate change-related stresses such as drought. To help farmers in these areas, his research enabled him to develop 35 drought-tolerant rice varieties, 15 of which have been released in India. Sahbhagi dhan, one of the first drought-tolerant rice varieties developed by IRRI and released in the country in 2010-11, has provided farmers with yield gain of 1 ton per hectare. It has now been disseminated to half a million hectares in India. He was also acknowledged for his work on identifying major genes for important traits such as grain yield, lodging resistance, and disease resistance, among others that have been used continuously by several breeding programs across the country.   

The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award was instituted by ICAR in 1956 to recognize outstanding research in agricultural and allied sciences and provide incentives for excellence in agricultural research. 

A total of four awards were given, one for each of the following areas: crop and horticultural sciences, natural resources management and agricultural engineering, animal and fisheries sciences, and social sciences.  Aside from citation, each award came with INR500,000 in cash. 

The award is named after the late Sh. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai who was ICAR president from 1952 to 1954.

Photo exhibit on heirloom rice culture opens at IRRI

Opening of the Rice Culture of the Cordilleras photo exhibit. 

L-R: DA-CAR OIC Virgie Tapat; Cong. Teddy Baguilat, Jr.; IRRI DG Bob Zeigler; 

the artist, David Leprozo, Jr.; and IRRI head of external relations, Corinta Guerta.

Heirloom rice varieties, mostly grown in the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, are handed down from generation to generation and have become prized commodities. To further promote heirloom rice and its culture, the Heirloom Rice Project (HRP) hosted a photo exhibit by renowned photographer David Leprozo, Jr., titled Rice Culture of the Cordilleras.

“This event underscores the importance of indigenous peoples’ contribution of their knowledge system to the conservation of heirloom rice varieties,” said Casiana Vera Cruz, IRRI scientist and HRP project leader. HRP is led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Special guest at the opening was Teddy Baguilat, Jr., representing the Ifugao people in the Philippine Congress, who spoke about the challenge of motivating Cordillera youth to help ensure the continuity of their cultural heritage and preserving their heirloom rice varieties.

‟This exhibit will hopefully give more knowledge not just to IRRI employees but also to our youth. I hope that you can get a glimpse of how important the rice terraces and heirloom rice are to the life of the Cordillera people through these photos,” Baguilat said in his message.

Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general, said that the spirit of the event itself captures the broader commitment that the Institute has toward heirloom rice varieties and the people that these support. Through the HRP, IRRI and its partners seek to understand more about the indigenous rice varieties and thus help preserve cultural traditions surrounding this culture in the Cordilleras.

“We are asking them to share with us so that we can benefit from their cultural richness and heritage and, at the same time, they can benefit from IRRI’s products as well,” Zeigler said.

The artist, David Leprozo, Jr., is donating all 35 photos on exhibit to IRRI at the end of the exhibit.

“It’s a very welcome donation from a prestigious artist,” said Corinta Guerta, head of external relations at IRRI. “The collection will indeed be a precious addition to IRRI’s art collection.”

Throughout the event, traditional Cordillera dances were performed by members of the Hapiyu Mi Cordilleran Dance Troupe, and various heirloom rice dishes were served.

HRP is an initiative under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and is supported by various agencies of the DA and IRRI. It aims to enhance the productivity and enrich the legacy of heirloom rice varieties through empowered indigenous communities in unfavorable rice-based ecosystems.

Also present during the opening of the exhibit were representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; HRP constituents from the Cordilleras and South Cotabato; Virgie Tapat, OIC of the Operations Division of the DA-Cordillera Administrative Region; Neil Doton of DA-Central Mindanao; and some guests from IRRI’s neighbors, the University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Philippine High School for the Arts.

Rice Culture of the Cordilleras, which opened on 22 July 2015, will be on exhibit at the Asia Room of the IRRI Riceworld Museum until 21 August. The Museum is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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IRRI conducts workshop on Filipino version of Rice Doctor app

Rice Doctor is an interactive mobile app that helps diagnose and manage rice pests, diseases, and other problems. The English version of the android app—developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and Lucid Team—is currently available for download at Google Play.

IRRI’s Training Center has been developing a Filipino version of the app to make it more accessible to more Filipino farmers, extension workers, researchers, and students. To prepare the translation of its contents into Filipino, the Training Center conducted the Rice Doctor Filipino Translation Validation Workshop.

The two-day workshop was attended by 15 extension workers and farmers from the provinces of Cavite, Laguna,  Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon along with researchers and content developers from PhilRice and IRRI. Development communication students from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and agricultural technology students from Laguna State Polytechnic University also participated in the workshop. The participants proofread and polished the translated text, discussed improvements for the translation, and considered the app’s ease of use and comprehensibility in the field.

Rice Doctor Filipino Translation Validation Workshop was held on 15-16 July at IRRI headquarters.

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Philippines: Joint seminar held to boost dissemination of agricultural information and technology

The Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) held an event promoting the dissemination of technology in the agricultural sector.

Knowledge Sharing and Learning aims to build partnerships with farmers, extensionists, the academe, government and non-government organizations, and other stakeholders in order to ensure timely and effective information and technology dissemination.

The event also demonstrated ICT-based resources for rice farming during the Rice TechnoKlinik, a part of the three-day event.
Rice TechnoKlinik highlighted the three agencies’ free digital-based services: IRRI’s Rice Knowledge Bank, DA-ATI’s E-Extension, and PhilRice’s Minus One Element Technique App, Farmers Text Center, and Rice Crop Manager.

PhilRice and DA-ATI also presented some challenges facing the Philippine agricultural sector. Among these are the aging farmers, declining number of extension workers, growing population, and natural calamities such as droughts and floods.

The event was hosted by PhilRice at PhilRice Agusan del Norte; San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; and Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, respectively, on 1-3 July.

Learn more about the RKB and its services at www.knowledgebank.irri.org

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Philippines: Radio campaign to promote climate-smart technology in farming communities

The Radio Campaign shall tap rural broadcasters and other media practitioners to disseminate climate change information across the country, particularly in rural areas.

PHILIPPINES – Radio has been the medium used most extensively and effectively for disseminating information in rural areas that help initiate social and community development.

To harness the power of radio, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, and the Philippine Federation of Rural Broadcasters, will launch a campaign engaging rural broadcasters in informing agricultural communities on climate change issues and help them adapt to its impacts. The Radio Campaign will focus on climate-smart technology options for farmers for improved productivity, increased capacity to adapt to climate risks, and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities.

At least 75 broadcasters from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will be trained to produce ready-to-be-aired broadcast materials in five local languages through a series of regional trainings and seminars. Media practitioners, campaigners, and the public can access scripts, news, digests, reference materials, backgrounders, voice clips, and videos through a web portal that will be developed to distribute the materials.

By the end of 2016, the project is expected to contribute to increasing farm productivity by 5%.

Other partners in this pilot climate change Radio Campaign include the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Philippine Science Journalists, Cagayan State University, Aklan State University, and Central Mindanao University. A Letter of Agreement, signed on 1 June, sealed this collaborative partnership.

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Myanmar: Lessons in postharvest identified by Learning Alliance members in wrap-up meeting

Bogale, Myanmar — The Learning Alliance (LA) in Bogale Township in Myanmar was established in July 2013 to improve Bogale rice quality and obtain higher market prices. The members, composed of farmers, millers, NGO partners, and other rice value chain actors, had a wrap-up meeting on 29-30 June 2015. The 20 members (4 female, 16 male)  shared what they experienced and learned from the different LA activities conducted from 2013 to 2015, and developed plans to continue the alliance.  The event is part of the final review program of the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which aims to improve food security livelihoods in the lower region of the Ayeyarwady Delta.

Using interactive group learning activities, the participants traced their key learning from trying postharvest options, i.e., flatbed dryers and lightweight threshers that will help improve paddy quality. Members also recalled visiting wholesale and export markets in Yangon.  LA members identified that the flatbed dryer provided by the LIFT project enabled them to dry their grains even during bad weather and risky conditions.

U Aung Kyi, a rice farmer in Kyee Chaung village, used the dryer and shared his experience to LA members from other villages. “During the 2014 monsoon 2014 season, I was able to dry my wet paddy overnight using the flatbed dryer. I used it again in the 2015 summer season and was able to sell my paddy  in Yangon,” he shared.

Through the alliance, five farmers from Pa Dae Kyaw village were able to try the lightweight TC-800 thresher, and shared how easy it was to use.

IRRI postharvest expert Martin Gummert and project consultant Dr. Myo Aung Kyaw discussed with the LA members the future activities of the alliance, which will include provision of solar bubble dryers for mobile drying, and business models for the flatbed dryer with group storage to ensure that the smallholder farmers will continue producing good-quality grains to help increase their income.

Some LA activities were co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, through the project Closing the Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint project.

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Former IRRI trustee wins 2015 World Food Prize

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Photo courtesy of worldfoodprize.org

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh, founder of BRAC and former member of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Board of Trustees was awarded the 2015 World Food Prize.

The honor was bestowed on Sir Fazle for his unparalleled achievement in building the unique, integrated development organization BRAC, which is headquartered in Bangladesh and operates programs in 10 other countries around the globe. Since he created it over 40 year ago, Sir Fazle's organization has provided an opportunity for nearly 150 million people worldwide to improve their lives, has enhanced food security and follows a pathway out of poverty through its dynamic and effective development programs. Formally known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, BRAC has been hailed as the most effective antipoverty organization in the world. Its agricultural and development innovations have improved food security for millions and contributed to a significant decline in poverty levels through direct impacts to farmers and small communities across the globe.

 "Being selected to receive the 2015 World Food Prize is a great honor,” said Sir Fazle. ”I consider this award a recognition of the work of BRAC.  The real heroes in our story are the poor themselves and, in particular, women struggling with poverty. Only by putting the poorest, and women in particular, in charge of their own destinies, will absolute poverty and deprivation be removed from the face of the earth."

From 2001 to 2006, Sir Fazle also served as a member of IRRI's Board of Trustees, which sets the Institute's  scientific directions, policies, and strategies. Its 15 members are selected for their outstanding achievements and leadership in their respective disciplines.

The USD 250,000 World Food Prize has been awarded annually since 1987 to "outstanding individuals who have made breakthrough achievements contributing to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world".

The announcement was made at a ceremony at the U.S. State Department, presided over by U.S.  Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who gave keynote remarks. The event was hosted by Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin, with Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, making public Sir Fazle's name.

Press release: World Food Prize Laureate: Leading a Generation out of Poverty

View IRRI-Pioneer interview video featuring Fazle Hasan Abed 

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PRISM conducts 5-day writeshop to draft its operations manual

Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines - The Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM) team members from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and IRRI had a five-day (6-10 July 2015) writeshop to draft the 1st version of the PRISM operations manual.

The manual is a compilation of protocols for data collection, data and image processing, yield estimation, crop health assessment, data management, conduct of training, and accessing PRISM data. This manual will be essential for the Philippine Department of Agriculture to be able to conduct PRISM activities in both national and regional levels.

This writeshop activity involved specialists on remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), crop health, information technology ( IT ), and development communication to package the protocols. Members of the PRISM management team from IRRI, such as Dr. Andy Nelson,  Dr. Alice Laborte, and  Dr. Nancy Castilla, served as writers and reviewers.  Printed copies of the manual will be distributed to agencies under the Department of Agriculture.

Group photo: (L-R, 3rd row) Denis Diaz-Maco, Leonardo Marquez, Arturo Arocena Jr., Andy Nelson, Dindo King Donayre, Ulysses Duque (L-R, 2nd row) Henry Cayaban, Miguel Abriol-Santos, Arnel Rala, Jean Rochielle Mirandilla, Emma Quicho, Jesiree Elena Ann Bibar, Alice Laborte, Ruvicyn Bayot, Ethel Princess Banasihan; (L-R, 1st row) Nancy Castilla, Hannah Zarah Bhatti, Jeny Raviz, Pristine Mabalot, Mary Anne Gutierrez, Mary Rose Mabalay, Mabel Barroga, Joselito Villa

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Nepal: Farmers honored with Presidential Awards during National Rice Day

After celebrating the International Year of Rice in 2004, the Government of Nepal officially declared 30 June as National Rice Day. Since then the National Rice Day has become an important event in the country.

On its 12th anniversary, the National Rice Day was observed in many parts of the country with Mechanization in Rice cultivation, minimization of cost of production as this year’s theme. As part of the event, Hari Prasad Parajuli, head of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) honored five outstanding progressive Nepalese farmers with the Presidential Award for their significant work in agriculture. This was the first time that the award was given to farmers.

Philippines: IRRI’s 'science and security' drones featured at the 2015 International Film Expo

IRRI's security team flies a drone along the experimental ricefields at IRRI headquarters

MANILA - IRRI’s head of security, Glenn Enriquez, was invited to speak at an International Film Expo in Manila earlier this month. His talk showcased the work done by the Institute’s security team and focused on the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, which patrol the campus of over 200 hectares, 6 times a day.

The drones are complementary measures to the ground patrol team. Warlito Untalan, UAS team leader, has conducted 1,020 flights, equivalent to 340 hours. “Introduced in 2012, the drones are used in a complementary capacity to the ground team,” Mr. Enriquez said. “If one of our ‘pilots’ operating the drones spots any unusual activity, they call the ground team to check on the situation. In the past cows have been spotted grazing on the rice fields at night, which could affect the scientists’ experiments, and may not have been detected without the use of drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras.”

Drones are also a useful tool for scientists, who can see their rice experiments from a bird’s eye view. This can help for research purposes, such as the comprehensive assessment of complex plant traits such as growth, development, tolerance, yield and other observable traits. However, there are many future exciting prospects for the drones, and James Quilty, head of IRRI’s experiment station says, “There is little doubt that in the future, drones will be involved in a wide range of tasks from phenotyping, possibly sampling, and probably delivering payloads to plots. The technology is advancing rapidly.”

Steve Klassen flying a newly acquired drone

Steve Klassen, an environmental science and engineering consultant at IRRI, uses drones to check on his 5 hectare plot. The drone must be flown 3 times with 3 different cameras in order to collect the necessary information, taking about 30 minutes. Without drones, this process would take around 4 hours. “This season, drones will be tested alongside more traditional data-collection methods to evaluate their performance and potential,” he said.

IRRI’s use of drones aligns with good practices regarding privacy. “Respect for privacy is paramount in the operations of the drones,” Mr. Enriquez emphasized. “For this reason, IRRI’s security team works very closely with the local community to inform them of the reasons we use drones. Also, the drones are not flown above the local communities, as can be shown by the GPS-tracked flight paths.”

Any publicly posted video or photographic materials taken by the drones can be used freely under a creative commons license, which includes attribution to IRRI.

The 2015 International Film Expo was held on 26-28 June at the SMX Convention Center.

Glenn Enriquez talks about the use of drones at IRRI (top);
From L-R (bottom), Teejay Teodoro (Unmanned Systems Consulting), Glenn Enriquez (IRRI), Ramson Velez (RC VictoryWorld) and Oli Laperal (RS Video and Film Productions), drone zone coordinator, 2015 International Film Expo.

Written by: Sophie Anderson

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IRRI joins global climate change network

IRRI has been developing rice varieties that can adapt to various climate stresses while improving yield.

The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) granted IRRI membership in recognition of shared objectives in supporting developing countries in adopting climate-smart technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, CTCN promotes technology transfer by providing technology services, capacity building, and implementation advice to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cope with climate change.

Members of the network carry out information exchange, capacity building, and outreach activities. As part of the network, organizations provide each other with technical assistance as well as support in engaging high-level policy officials on climate change issues.

Part of IRRI’s mission is to enhance the environmental sustainability of rice production. Since 1991, the Institute has implemented various climate change research initiatives and projects, covering adaptation, mitigation, and policy. IRRI has been collaborating with developing countries, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, on making rice production more environmentally responsible. Examples of these efforts include climate research and technologies, web-based crop management tools, training activities, and other farming and postharvest technologies.

Through the IRRI-CTCN collaboration, the Institute gains more collaborative capacity to continue its work on knowledge sharing and technology adoption in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Currently, CTCN’s fast-growing network is comprised of 57 institutions and organizations worldwide. CTCN continually conducts training, webinars, and technology assessments, and convenes discussions for capacity building.


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Philippines: Workshop to help journalists with better media coverage of climate change issues

(From left:) Melody del Rosario, MPIC VP for media and corporate communications,; Ramon Isberto, Smart Communications VP and head of public affairs; Jose Ma. K. Lim, MPIC President and CEO; Noel Reyes, PAJ VP; and Mike Toledo, Philex VP for corporate affairs and MVP Group media bureau chief. 

Numerous scientists and experts around the world have expressed their concern at the low media reportage on issues of climate change. Another concern is that media discussions on the subject matter lack accurate information or are too technical for the public.

To change the situation, private companies and government agencies in the Philippines, as well as international non-government organizations, will hold seminar-workshops to help journalists craft better and more science-based stories about the matter.

With funding from the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Smart Communications and Philex Mining Corporation, the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Inc. (PAJ), in collaboration with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia (CCAFS-SEA), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) and Department of Agriculture will conduct four regional seminar-workshops for journalists, dubbed Climate Change: Gets mo na ba? (Do you get it now?)

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by PAJ and the MPIC Group on 30 June 2015 for the project’s implementation. The workshops aim to make climate change processes and terminologies more understandable for the layman. The series of activities will be held in Legazpi City (30 July-1 August), Tacloban City (27-29 August), Siargao Island (17-19 September), and Tuguegarao City (29-31 October).

The media seminar-workshop series is part of the CCAFS-SEA’s collective engagement and communication strategy and plan in the region which was mapped out with CGIAR Centers. The plan serves as a collective platform to build synergistic relationships among CGIAR Centers and key stakeholders, including the media.

Led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), CCAFS is a collaboration among all 15 CGIAR research centers and coordinates with the other CGIAR research programs. IRRI hosts the regional program for Southeast Asia, which is based in Vietnam.

Related articles:

Laotian media professionals trained in climate change

Brainstorming with the media on climate change in Vietnam

CCAFS-SEA kick​s​ off first media workshop on how to report about climate change with impact

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Philippines: Corporate Social Responsibility Expo features Heirloom Rice Project

The League of Corporate Foundations held a Corporate Social Responsibility Expo earlier this week at SMX SM Aura, Taguig City. The event was a great opportunity to raise awareness of the Heirloom Rice Project of the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The Heirloom Rice Project promotes rice grown by indigenous people in the upland areas of Moutain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Kalinga.

The theme of this year’s expo was Collaborate. Sustain. Revolutionize. Tony Lambino, head of the Communication Unit at IRRI, participated in the panel discussion on the role of innovation (revolutionize) in developing various sectors including arts and culture, education, environment, health, and enterprise. He suggested that the most effective way to revolutionize was through community-based projects, using both modern technology and more local forms of materials. He also cited the importance of using networks to maximize the potential of the message to be reached as far as possible.

Other members the panel included Ms. Aisa Mijeno, co-founder and chief executive, Sustainable Alternative Lighting, Atty. Leonido Pulido, president and CEO, Electric Vehicle Expansion Enterprise Inc., and Mr. Manny Ayala, chairman and chief instigator, Hatchd Digital. The panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Maria Ressa, chief executive officer, Rappler.

Several organizations with active reaches in their communities displayed their CSR projects at the event held on 30 June to 1 July. The League of the Corporate Foundations is the leading network in practice-based, strategic Corporate Social Responsibility that contributes to sustainable national development.

Written by: Sophie Anderson

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Indigent families receive medical assistance from IRRI

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through the office of the Philippine Desk, conducted a free medical mission for the indigent residents of Barangay Puypuy  in Bay, Laguna, a few kilometers from IRRI headquarters.  Around 500 individuals received medical attention, which includes free consultations and health care counseling from the physicians of the Army General Hospital, headed by Dr. Mary Agnes Motril.  IRRI spouses sponsored the free medicines provided to the patients.

Bread donated by  Gardenia Bakeries (Philippines ) was also  distributed to the patients  during the medical mission. It  was held on 25 June 2015, from 8:00 in the morning until noon. The event  is one of IRRI's community engagement activities to help reduce the incidence of common illness in the community.

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Philippines: DA-IRRI Heirloom Rice Project taps local champions for its grassroots advocacy

Grassroots advocacy is one of the most effective ways of raising the level of awareness regarding certain causes to influence public perception, regulations, or public policy. To mobilize and harness the power of grassroots brand advocates, the Heirloom Rice Project (HRP) conducted a workshop for “local champions” from local government units and state colleges and universities in Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.

Local champions are HRP partners within their communities who will actively coordinate self-help group activities for the project beneficiary and eventually sustain the management of the Department of Agriculture (DA) project. The HRP team, composed of staff from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and DA-Cordillera Administrative Region organized the activity to update the local champions on the latest project developments. The workshop also helped them define their roles in the implementation activities for HRP’s second year and in the identification of project activities with community-based indicators of landscape resilience, that is, the rice terraces sites of the UNESCO world heritage.

Digna Manzanilla, a social scientist at IRRI and co-project leader for HRP’s components on linking smallholders to the value chain, as well as on model documentation, knowledge management and M&E, facilitated the discussion on the various roles of local champions in the project’s activities. The participants defined how their current professional qualifications and responsibilities fit into their new role as local champions. They have also identified capacity-building needs that could enable them to better perform their part.

Mr. Adrien Salazar, an IRRI graduate student intern from Yale University, gave the participants a brief overview of community-based indicators of resilience to guide them in identifying activities that they perceive as contributing to the environmental, economic and social dimensions of landscape resilience. Outputs of this workshop will be applied to the framing of indicators relevant to heirloom rice farmers, through field research to be piloted in two project sites in the coming weeks.

The DA-IRRI Heirloom Rice Project workshop was held in Tuba, Benguet on June 24, 2015.

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