PhilRice soon to introduce beta-carotene enriched rice

A new disease resistant and nutritionally enriched rice variety will soon be introduced by the Philippine Rice Research Institute ( PhilRice ) before 2010.

Dr. Antonio Alfonso, the head of the PhilRice's Plant Breeding and biotechnology division said that their aim is to produce, after about three years, a rice variety which is rich in beta-carotene or Vitamin A and resistant to "Tungro" disease and bacterial blight.

Alfonso explained that tungro is a disease of palay that strikes in the early stage, resulting to reduced palay production.

"The disease is a common problem among farmers in the Visayas and Mindanao because we plant and harvest the year round due to our irrigation," he said.

Alfonso said that PhilRice has already started growing last month F1 or first generation seeds of this new variety to assess the characteristics and performance of the resulting plants.

"Should PhilRice experiments prove successful we are optimistic that the new micronutrient-packed rice variety will help lessen incidence of Vitamin A deficiency, particularly among Filipino children and pregnant women," he added.

The rice institute is seeking to develop such variety since available rice varieties in the country are no longer capable of producing beta-carotene through the natural process.

Beta Carotene is the most important of the carotenoids, an effective anti-oxidant that helps reduce cellular damage in the body.

Alfonso said that what is available right now is the iron-fortified rice, of which about three million bags are expected to arrive soon in the Philippines from Vietnam.