Some Imperatives and Challenges for Rice Biotechnology in Asian National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems

Rice, Oryza sativa L., is the staple food for more than three billion people or over half the world’s population (FAO 2004). It provides 27 per cent of the dietary energy supply and 20 per cent of dietary protein intake in the developing world. Grown in at least 114 mostly developing countries, rice is the dominant crop in Asia where it covers half of the arable land used for agriculture in many countries (Cantrell and Hettel 2004). Moreover, it is the primary source of income and employment for more than 100 million households in Asia and Africa (FAO 2004). The Asian continent, where 56 per cent of humanity including 70 per cent of the world’s 1.3 billion poor people lives, produces and consumes around 92 per cent of the world’s rice (Papademetriou 1999). Over 50 per cent of the 840 million people suffering from chronic hunger live in areas dependent on rice production. About 80 per cent of the world’s rice is produced in small farms, primarily to meet family needs, and poor rural farmers account for 80 per cent of all rice producers (FAO 2004). Nine of the top ten rice producing countries in 2003, viz., China,