Researchers cultivate vanilla sticky rice for export market
Researchers cultivate vanilla sticky rice for export market
The Agriculture Research Centre in Vientiane is planning to produce improved vanilla sticky and white rice varieties for sale on the domestic market and for export.
The centre, which is supported by the government, currently grows the improved sticky rice varieties Thadokkham 1-13, Vientiane 450-1 and Vientiane 450-2, as well as Thadokkham, which has been bred for its ability to withstand flooding.
These varieties are supplied to farmers around the country.
The Thadokkham 8-11 strains are most popular with milling groups, who buy them from the centre and e ncourage farmers to plant them to obtain a higher yield of 5-6 tonnes per hectore. The crop then goes to the millers, the centre's Director, Dr Chay Bounphanousay, told Vientiane Times reporters when they visited the centre on Tuesday. These rice varieties are supplied to Lao farmers but are not yet of sufficiently high standard t o be sold internationally, she said.
Dr Chay said the new vanilla sticky and white rice varieties would be good for commercial domestic use and for export.
These new rice varieties have been bred from traditional Lao strains such as hom nangnoun and kay noi. The centre would begin large scale cultivation of the new varieties in the next few years, she added.
From 1988 to 2012, the centre has collected and developed many traditional rice varieties. Over the years it has grown a larger number of varieties for supply to farmers, so they could grow more for their personal consumption, Dr Chay said.
Since 2000, Laos has been able to produce sufficient rice to meet market demand. In view of growing domestic demand, the centre is now working on improving the quality of rice varieties.
“Laos should be able to produce rice that is competitive in the export market both regionally and further afield. It should be chemical-free, while the vanilla characteristic will give it a Lao identity,” Dr Chay said.
But a lot of funding is required to produce these new varieties, she added.
In cooperation with partner centres, the Agriculture Research Centre is now able to produce 5,000 tonnes or 10-15 percent of the rice required in Laos. Farmers can choose the strains they want to grow.
However, in most of the country yields are low as farmers lack the know-how to select appropriate rice varieties, improve their fields, and tend to their crops.
The centre plans to open sub-units around the country where staff would work with farmers to encourage them to use better quality rice strains.
One of the main challenges facing rice research is that there is no countrywide follow up after new strains are distributed, and all of the monitoring and information collection is based at the centre in Vientiane.
The centre has produced 20-30 improved rice varieties. Laos has 14,000-15,000 different rice accessions, or types. The Agriculture Research Centre is also experimenting with sweetcorn, cassava and bean varieties for cultivation on a commercial basis.
vientiane times
