International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has recently launched four rice varieties in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR). It is also known as the Kugwiza Project. It developed rice varieties adapted to the local ecologies of DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda. The initiative intends to enhance food and nutrition outcomes in the region by improving the value of high-quality, high-yielding rice varieties (HYV) and rapidly promoting their adoption. AID-I GLR seeks to help 1,200,000 households in Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda.
About The Newly Launched Rice Varieties
The newly launched rice varieties are Tengetenge, Kirera Bana, Mubusi and Rutete. These were developed at IRRI’s Headquarters in the Philippines and the Regional Crop Improvement Hub based at the University of Burundi. These four varieties have been included in the 56 improved varieties already released in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since 2011. Not only this, the Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR) also offered demonstration plots for rice farmers and researchers to expose them to the best-fit varieties and management options in different agroecological zones. The initiative emphasised lowland and high-mid altitude regions where farmers are new to rice production. Furthermore, Partners also received training on rice farming and irrigation management, and were then provided 100 grams of high-yielding rice varieties to validate their performance and encourage adoption.
IRRI Country Representative for Burundi and DRC, Dr. Joseph Bigirimana, said: “The released IRRI varieties will contribute to boosting rice production in the irrigated lowland ecologies and contribute to food security of the country”. Particularly, these varieties are disease-resistant and yield higher than locally grown varieties. They also hold good milling recovery and market value, which helps in improving farmers’ income and profit. Notably, Breeding of these varieties was designed to meet local consumers’ and market preferences, which are non-sticky and good cooking quality and colour.