Cambodia rice variety named world’s best

Cambodian rice variety Phka Rumduol, often called Phka Malis or Cambodia Jasmine Rice by rice millers and traders, was chosen as the “World’s Best Rice” during the Rice Traders World Rice Conference held in Hong Kong in November 2013.

Rice samples from several countries, including Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United States, were evaluated in several rounds based on raw (chalkiness, head rice, shape, and size) and cooked qualities (gloss, color, stickiness, flavor and texture).

This was not the first time Phka Rumduol was recognized as such. In a similar competition at Bali, Indonesia in 2012, the variety was also chosen as “World’s Best Rice.” It is now thus considered the ‘Pride of Cambodia.’

Phka Rumduol was developed through support from the Cambodia-IRRI-Australia Project (1988-2001) and was officially released as a variety by the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) in 1999, the same year CARDI was founded.

With continuous efforts to disseminate the variety since then, Phka Rumduol was accepted as one of the ten rice varieties promoted by the Royal Government of Cambodia in late 2010. It is now widely grown in Cambodia.

Phka Rumduol typically yields 3.5–5 tons per hectare under rainfed lowland conditions. It has a long slender grain and a nice jasmine-type aroma, is not chalky, and has low amylose content (13.8% which makes it quite sticky when cooked. The milled rice is translucent and the cooked one soft-textured, unbroken, and flavorful.

Related story
Phka Rumduol rice variety is the Pride of Cambodia

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Rural sociologist is guest in researchers’ lunch

Gelia Castillo, rural sociologist and National Scientist of the Philippines, was the guest of the Young Researchers' Lunch group for January.

Dr. Castillo is a former member of the board of trustees of several CGIAR centers and other international development organizations, and is considered the ‘general source of wisdom’ at IRRI. She reminisced and told the young group about the time when the first varieties were being released from IRRI, describing the excitement among farmers.

"Get into the field as much as possible,” she bid the young scientists, “and do not work on your computers all the time." She told them that the new generation of rice scientists has a big responsibility to help farmers increase their yield and profit.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting of scientists at IRRI who are in the early stages of their career. It provides an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics on science, including career paths.

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Former trustee visits IRRI

Sjarifudin Baharsjah, former chair of the IRRI Board of Trustees (BOT) chair and recent recipient of the 2013 Dioscoro L. Umali Award in agricultural development, was at IRRI on 17 January for a visit. [Photos]

Dr. Baharsjah received the Umali award on 16 January during a ceremony held in Makati, Philippines, hosted by the Dioscoro Luna Umali Foundation, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, and the Philippines’ National Academy of Science and Technology.

H.E. Ade Petranto, charge d’affaires at the Indonesian Embassy, described Dr. Baharsjah’s achievements as a strong foundation for his country’s efforts toward a sustainable and secure domestic rice supply.“Considering the size of its population, Indonesia was able to maintain and sustain its rice stocks with very marginal importation from neighboring countries,” he said.

Dr. Baharsjah was minister of agriculture in Indonesia (1993-98) and was the first Indonesian elected as chair of the IRRI BOT (1996) and as independent chair of the Food and Agriculture Organization (1997).

He earned his masteral and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky in Lexington (1965) and at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh (1974).



Related stories

• Former IRRI trustee is Umali Awards recipient
• Indonesian economist conferred the 2013 Dioscoro L. Umali Achievement Award in Agricultural Development 

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IRRI hands over donation to Haiyan fund drive

The Philippine Desk of IRRI’s Partnerships Office turned over on 16 January a donation  to the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to support rehabilitation work for survivors of the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) disaster in November 2013.

The donation was put together from the Institute’s budget for its end-of-year party for 2013 and the monetary equivalent of the rice rations that were volunteered by some employees.

CRS is currently serving 40,000 families, providing them emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and relief items for the first three months. These efforts are aimed at the most affected areas of Leyte and Samar provinces.

In January, CRS will start its agricultural recovery, which will mainly benefit rice and coconut farmers in the affected areas, and shelter recovery programs.
Joseph Curry, country representative, CRS intends to set up a long-term presence in Leyte and Samar for post-typhoon recovery.

Brian MacDonald (photo), program director at CRS, received the check from IRRI Partnerships office staff Sylvia Avance and Joselito Platon.

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IRRI scientist recognized for contributing in the development of Anhui province

Fangming Xie, hybrid rice breeder at IRRI, is one of 15 chosen to receive the Anhui Friendship Award for his contributions to the social and economic development of Anhui Province in China.

Dr. Xie, the only one among the awardees who is from the agriculture sector, helped the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Science (AAAS) develop drought-tolerant rice varieties suited for a rice-wheat cropping system. One of the varieties, Green Drought I,  does not require much water to cultivate nor extensive land preparation to embank water.

IRRI work in South Asia showcased in agriculture fair

IRRI’s work in the Cauvery Delta and other parts of India, especially those conducted under the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) projects, were the focus of an exhibit featured in an agriculture fair held in Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu.

The Cauvery Delta is Tamil Nadu’s rice bowl, but the area suffers from regular shortages of irrigation water and of farm labor. Recently, poorly drained areas of the delta that have heavy clay soil have also started to sustain damage from flash floods that follow heavy monsoon downpour.

IRRI turns over 4 more tons of seed for Haiyan-hit areas

Four tons of seeds of high-yielding rice varieties were donated by IRRI on Tuesday, 14 January 2014, for farmer survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

The seeds were received by Ariel Palo, representing the Department of Agriculture (DA), on behalf of rice farmers in areas in the Visayas region that suffered the most damage from the supertyphoon.