Filipino, Japanese scientists to develop new rice varieties

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Scientists from the Philippines and Japan have teamed up to develop new disease-resistant and high- yielding rice varieties, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said today.

The rice research project of JICA, dubbed as Wonder Rice Initiative for Food Security and Health (WISH), is targeting to develop some 200 new rice varieties by 2015. Aside from the JICA research team, the project also involves Japan's Nagoya University and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

"The project shows plenty of promise in supporting JICA's integrated program to boost rice production and address food shortage in developing countries," said Dr. Motoyuki Ashikari, rice expert and professor from Nagoya University, in a statement.

Filipino and Japanese scientists will also develop other location-specific breeding techniques that other countries like Kenya and Mali in Africa can adopt.

By 2015, rice varieties under the project will be propagated and distributed to other parts of the world including Africa whose rice shortage looms.