Rice-based Systems Research: Regional Technical Workshop June 2012 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Dr Gamini Keerthisinghe

1. ACIAR Dr Gamini Keerthisinghe
RICE-BASED SYSTEMS RESEARCH (RSR) PROGRAM:
Food Security in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Bangladesh

2. What is ACIAR?
 A statutory authority within the
Australian Government’s Foreign Affairs
and Trade portfolio
 Part of Australia’s Aid Program, with the
objectives of advancing Australia’s
national interest through poverty
reduction and sustainable development
 A research funder and manager
ACIAR

3. ACIAR
Vision
ACIAR looks to a world where
poverty has been reduced and the
livelihoods of many improved
through more productive and
sustainable agriculture emerging
from collaborative international
research
ACIAR

4. ACIAR
Mission
To achieve more productive and
sustainable agricultural systems for
the benefit of developing countries
and Australia through international
agricultural research partnerships
ACIAR

5. What we do
 Commission research into improving
sustainable agricultural production in
developing countries
 Fund project related training
 Communicate the results of funded
research
 Conduct and fund development
activities related to research
programs
 Administer Australia's contribution
to the IARCs
ACIAR

6. Themes
 Food security and nutrition
 Productivity and resilience of crop, livestock,
forestry and fisheries systems
 Smallholder and community livelihoods
 Animal and plant biosecurity
 Agricultural ecosystem services
 Individual and institutional R&D capacity
ACIAR

7. ACIAR Region & Country Budget 2012-13
PNG & Pacific
Island countries
Thailand
Africa $12.14M Burma
$.36M
$20.32M $3.08M
Vietnam
$5.47M
China
Mekong countries $1.73M
and China $20.44M
South and West
Asia Cambodia
Lao PDR
$19.59M $4.13M
$5.67M
Indonesia, E Timor
and Philippines
$16.35M
$88.8 million $20.5 million
ACIAR

8. Disparities in Economy / Food security
GDP US $ /capita HDI
4500
3500 0.7
2500 0.6
1500 0.5
500 0.4
Many disparities between and within countries
Over 30% of the population in
below poverty line
Burma, Cambodia and Lao PDR
In emerging economies persistent pockets of
food insecurity & poverty
ACIAR

9. Country Funding - Trends
Country 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
$M
Lao PDR 2.7 3.7 5.0 5.7
Cambodia 3.3 4.2 4.9 4.1
Bangladesh 1.3 1.5 1.9
ACIAR

10. ACIAR’s Program in Lao PDR
• Alternatives to shifting cultivation in upland regions
– Improving health and production of village pig and cattle
operations
– Incomes from forestry and agroforestry
• Improved food security and profitability of FS through
diversification
– Rice-based lowland cropping systems
– Horticulture
– Improving riverine and culture fisheries productivity
• Adapting farming systems to climate change
ACIAR

11. ACIAR’s Program in Cambodia
• Securing productivity of RBFS
• Income generation and better nutrition through
diversification in agricultural systems
– Cropping systems
– Ruminant livestock
– Fisheries
• Adaptation to climate change
ACIAR

12. ACIAR’s Program in Bangladesh
• Intensification and diversification of RBFS
– Introduction of short-duration pulses
– Policy constraints for rice-based farming systems
• Sustainable intensification of rice–maize production
systems in Bangladesh
• Sustainable use of water resources in South Asia
• Adaptation to climate change
ACIAR

13. Rice is Life in Asia
The Asian region produces and
consumes more than 90 % of the
world’s rice
Rice provides more than a third of
total dietary energy
Part time employment to over 300
million
ACIAR

14. Major challenges
Restructure the rice
sector for sustainable
Population pressure
cost-efficient
Fragile resource base production
Declining farm income Identify technologies
for increasing yields
Rising cost of inputs using
•less land
•less water
•less labour
•less chemicals
ACIAR

15. Thank You
ACIAR