Vietnam: CURE and MARD plan upscaling innovation for upland rice environments

The Consortium for Unfavourable Rice Environments (CURE), Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) organized a consultation workshop on technology transfer for the mountainous and unfavorable rice areas in Central and Northern Vietnam. The activity identified technologies and best management practices that are ready for dissemination and discussed ways to bring them to a greater number of farmers.

Technical innovations for sustainable rice production in upland areas derived from CURE and other national and provincial programs were also discussed. The activity focused on strategies for successful promotion of these technologies among the wide range of stakeholders; issues affecting the seed system particularly on the community-based seed production; and identification of national, regional, and provincial programs for upscaling and outscaling innovations.

"It is not enough that we generate technologies,” said Digna Manzanilla, CURE coordinator and organizer of the effort. Dr. Manzanilla underscored the importance of partnerships among groups to widen the reach of the technologies. “We need to define the partners and specific mechanisms for sharing these knowledge and resources."

Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general commended the group for bringing attention to problems confronting the upland rice communities and for identifying critical steps to provide livelihoods for uplands. Dr. Zeigler encouraged market- and culture- oriented ice production innovations as well.
It was also an opportune time to identify areas of complementation between CURE, an International Fund for Agricultural Development grant, and relevant investment projects in Vietnam.

Joining this effort are 59 participants from different research institutions of MARD, Center for Technology Development and Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Science Institute of Northern Central Vietnam, Agricultural Science Institute for Southern Central Coast of Vietnam, Fertilizer Research Institute, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Province. Representatives from extension centers, seed companies, and farmers’ seed groups also joined the consultation-workshop.

The workshop was held at the Flower Garden Hotel, Hanoi on 9-10 November.

Learn more about IRRI (www.irri.org) or follow us on the social media and networks (all links down the right column).