In the News: RP farmers warned vs hybrid rice seeds
May 16, 2010, 3:29pm
A study conducted by a consortium of farmers’ groups in Asia has warned Filipino farmers about the disastrous results of heavy reliance on hybrid rice seeds developed largely through the efforts of foreigne plant breeders.
Released last month, the study undertaken by 11 groups from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Laos and Bangladesh, said the use of hybrid rice seeds placed farmers at the mercy of companies that supply the seeds for every cropping season.
Moreover, the massive introduction of hybrid rice was marked by infestation and the resurgence of diseases that led to low yields, as what happened in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia. and the Philippines.
