Learning from Hybrid Rice story of China

Ashok GulatiDirector in Asia,

International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi Office

Presentation at the wksp on: Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India:

Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata,July 9-10, 2010.

Paddy Production & Area Performance: China, India

Source: For India: MoA, 2010 (Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2009. For China: National Bureau of Statistics, 2010 (China Statistical Yearbook, 2009)

Pdn=mt, Area=mha, Yield= t/ha

2008/09 2008I-Area I-Pdn I-Yield C-Area C-P C-Yield45.4 148.7 3.3 29.2 191.9 6.6

Case of China’s Hybrid Rice (HR)

Source: Li, Xin & Yuan, 2009

History of Hybrid Rice Technology Development in China

Paddy Yields in China & India & Share of Hybrid rice in China’s rice area

Yield Jumps d

ue to H

R?

Source: FAOSTAT & Li, Xin & Yuan (2009)

Impact of Hybrid Rice Varieties on Yields

How did China Succeed? Three Lessons …

Lesson 1. Political Will & Commitment…matched

by commensurate resources (China’s political commitment

triggered by the debacle in Great Leap Forward during 1958-61 when 30 m

people died of starvation…China invested in research 1964-74)

Lesson 2: A Champion…a Visionary with a

mission: Father of Hybrid Rice in China− Longping Yuan led research in 14 provinces in 1970s− Rice breeders: >1,000 parental lines & >300 large-scale

commercialized hybrids by 1990s− Pioneering Super Hybrid Rice- Yields > 10 t/ha

Source: Li, Xin & Yuan, 2009

Contd..

Lesson 3. Institutional Innovation &

Dynamism− Dynamic & widespread multi-tiered research institutes,

seed production & extension agencies (more than 3000

seed companies created)

− Massive Demonstrations & training; Reward & recognition

− Scaling up seed production & lowering seed costs,

minimum quality testing for seeds from 1985 onwards

Source: Li, Xin & Yuan, 2009

Commercial hybrid rice yield and hybrid rice seed yield in China (1976-2008)

Source: Li, Xin & Yuan, 2009

India: Rice Area & Production Distribution (TE 2007/08)~Eastern States account for: 56% area but produce 48% of All India

 Area in m ha

(% to all India)Production in m tonnes

(% to all India)Bihar 3.4 (7.7%) 4.3 (4.6%)

Chhattisgarh 3.7 (8.5%) 5.2 (5.5%)

Jharkhand 1.5 (3.5%) 2.6 (2.8%)Orissa 4.5 (10.2%) 7.1 (7.5%)

Uttar Pradesh 5.7 (13.1%) 11.3 (12.1%)West Bengal 5.7 (13.1%) 14.7 (15.6%)

Eastern States (Total) 24.6 (56.2%) 45.2 (48.1%)Punjab 2.6 (6%) 10.3 (11%)India 43.8 93.9

Source: Agriculture Statistics at a Glance (various issues)

Market Size: Hybrid Rice Seeds sold in tonnes~Increasing sales but the levels are low

STATE 2005 2006 2007 2008Punjab 700 900 900 900

Haryana 1000 1300 1600 2100Uttar Pradesh 2500 3600 5500 7500Chhattisgarh 450 750 1100 1500

Madhya Pradesh 250 300 350 500Orissa 50 75 130 230Bihar 450 700 1200 1500

Jharkhand 800 1300 1400 2000Gujarat 250 350 400 500

Maharashtra 100 200 225 250Andhra Pradesh 25 50 100 175

Karnataka 10 30 25 35West Bengal 2 5 200 105

Assam 1 2 17 60Total 6588 9562 13147 17355

Source: Singh et al. 2010. “Quality Seed For Food Security through PPP: Focus on Hybrid Rice”. A presentation made at the “National Seminar on- Quality Seed for Food Security through Public- Private Partnership”. 13-14 April 2010, IARI, New Delhi

Hybrid Rice in India (Area over the years)-A positive trend but still only ~ 3% of total rice area

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Source: Singh et al. 2010. “Quality Seed For Food Security through PPP: Focus on Hybrid Rice”. A presentation made at the “National Seminar on- Quality Seed for Food Security through Public- Private Partnership”. 13-14 April 2010, IARI, New Delhi

Some Issues

Taste & quality (can be improved with research- China has done it)

Incentives for Hybrid Rice: Seed price subsidy (costs) and procurement of hybrid output for PDS

Bt Rice: Move from Fiber to Food− In China (2008) a new GM program at US$ 3.8 billion for

2009-2020; Bt Rice approved from Nov 2009 (Huang, 2010)

Bio-fortification of HR (Harvest plus, Golden Rice) & combining production & nutrition/health policy

Distribution of HR via PDS, ICDS & MDMS

Creating more space for the Private sector to bring GR in eastern region…

Seed production, multiplication & distribution

Extension activities

How? Identify high potential districts where pvt sector

can focus – esp. in east Treat public & private sectors alike- scope for

partnerships Conditional rewards system based on

performance

What else should the Elephant learn from the Dragon to ensure Food Security of the masses?

Understanding the Reforms Process

Some suggestions

Set up a working group with representatives

from;− Public Sector research & policy director of NFSM,

ICAR, DRR etc.

− Private sector HR seed research companies

− External experts

Visit China to interact with key players

IFPRI as facilitator

Thank You