The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://irri.org ) has found that from harvest to market, farmers usually lose 30--50% of their earnings. Conservatively, they are losing around US$30 per ton of rice harvested. 

Delayed, incomplete, or ineffective drying is the main reason for the deterioration of rice seed and grain. To maintain high grain quality, IRRI and its partners have developed mechanical flatbed dryers that are affordable for farmer groups;. 

This video,produced by IRRI's Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC;http://irri.org/partnerships/networks/irrigated-rice-research-consortium ) highlights the introduction of the flatbed dryer in Cambodia and the testimonials of farmers who are benefitting from this technology.

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Ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry today, and recently we came across a particularly interesting example. In Thailand, Tigerland Rice Farm offers families eco-vacation trips in which they can live and work on an organic rice farm.

Available during the rice-planting season of June and July as well as the harvesting season of October and November, Tigerland’s six-day experiential trips give urban families a taste of a different way of life. Set in Chiang Rai in the hills of northern Thailand, Tigerland Farm lets participants have a hand in each step in the process of planting or harvesting rice. Included along the way, however, are pleasurable extras such as dips in a nearby river, bamboo rice dinners, a visit to the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, bamboo weaving, and a nature trek to nearby Lahu Village. Tigerland’s eco-vacations are the brainchild of Singapore-based Stone Edge Experiential, while participants are hosted and cared for by the Thai Watasittikul family that runs the farm. Also available are a variety of cultural trips and a two-day, one-night Bamboo Forest experience. The trips cost SGD 480 per person, which includes meals and accommodation, and pick-up and delivery to Chiang Rai International Airport. The video below illustrates Tigerland’s rice-farming trips in more detail:

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Half the world depends on rice – as a food staple, source of income, or both. Traditional farming needs 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce a kilo of rice. By using the 'system of rice intensification' (SRI), more rice can be grown per litre. Results from SRI pilot projects, have shown substantial increases in crop yields while using about 30% less water.

Producing Rice Saving Water in Morocco - WWF from WWF on Vimeo.

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Authors: Andrew H. Paterson and Zhi-Kang Li

A central element of the Green Revolution was the widespread adoption of semidwarf rice cultivars (SRCs) that more than doubled worldwide rice production (1). The high-yield potentials of modern SRCs are attributed primarily to their improved harvest index, lodging resistance, and responsiveness to high inputs (primarily nitrogen and water) (1–3), contributing to their adoption in irrigated areas that occupy 57% of world rice lands (4). The short stature of SRCs is caused by sd1, a mutant allele in the gene encoding a key enzyme (gibberellin 20-oxidase) functioning in biosynthesis of the plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA) that greatly reduces content of the bioactive molecule GA₁ (5, 6).

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The International Rice research Institute in the Philippines houses the world's biggest rice collection.

Rice research is vital to the global economy as it is a staple food for half the world's population.

Kate McGeown reports.

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