DSRC members with IRRI DDGR Jacqueline Hughes load seeds in a mechanical direct seeder for ceremonial planting.

“This consortium will strengthen collaboration between public and private sectors and eventually will lead to availability of resource-efficient and sustainable production practices and technologies not just for relevant business entities but also the small holder farmers across Asia,” says Jacqueline Hughes, IRRI's Deputy Director General for Research.

“This partnership with IRRI will expand our reach and expertise, and we are confident that this will contribute to the faster and wider dissemination of rice technologies and solutions that raise rice productivity and farmers’ income at the same time. Through this collaboration, we are excited to provide products and program support that contribute to food security in a significant and environmentally sustainable way,” adds Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, head of BASF’s Crop Protection Division in Asia Pacific and co-convenor of the DSRC.

Other DSRC members include Bayer, and Kilang Beras SeriMerbok Sdn. PhilRice Philippines, CARDI Cambodia, ICAR India, CNRRI China, MOALI Myanmar, NARC Nepal, Thai Rice Department, PARC Pakistan, MARDI Malaysia, International Fertilizer Association, The University of Sydney, and Syngenta Foundation are also part of the consortium.

Data and results-sharing through IRRI’s Open Access and Data Management Policy and Research Data Management best practices will be made available to all consortium members, among other benefits.

Eager to become the major driver of change in the agricultural systems in South and Southeast Asia, DSRC welcomes more partners from any government organizations including NARES partners, NGOs, civil societies, and farmers’ groups.

“We want to encourage a richer exchange of ideas, knowledge, and technologies to overcome key constraints in this initiative,” concludes Hughes.

About the International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world’s premier research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations.

IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.

Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.