ID :
11025
Sat, 06/28/2008 - 11:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/11025
The shortlink copeid
ybrid rice strain fetches 500,000 USD
HCM City (VNA) - A 66-year-old retired Vietnamese scientist has sold the rights to a high yielding hybrid-rice variety she developed in the late 1990s to a private company for 10 billion VND (500,000 USD).
Associate professor Nguyen Thi Tram, Ph.D. a former lecturer at the
Hanoi-based Agricultural University No. 1, transferred the rights to rice
strain TH3-3 to Doan Van Sau, director of Cuong Tan Company Ltd, in Nam Dinh
province.
In 2005, the long-grained, fragrant variety was recognised as a national
rice variety and given a licence two years later.
The rice has a growth period of only 105-125 days, is able to survive harsh
weather, resists common pests and diseases, and yields 6-8 tonnes per
hectare, one to two tonnes more than other local rice strains.
Since 2003, farmers in the northern provinces of Hanoi , Thanh Hoa, Ha
Tay, Ha Nam and Hung Yen have used Tram's new strain on a trial basis.
"For several years, the TH3-3 strain has proved its stable quality and
productivity," said Dr Tram, who was also former deputy director of the
Agricultural Biotechnology Institute.
The new hybrid rice variety is now grown on 30,000 ha in 26 provinces in the
north, Tram said.
According to an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, TH3-3's productivity is higher than other strains, which
yielded 6.5 tonnes per ha for the recent winter-spring crop in northern
Vietnam.
"The development of the hybrid rice strain was an encouraging move in
Vietnam 's agricultural science," said Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the
Agricultural Ministry's cultivation department.
He said the ministry would expand cultivation area for it in coming years.
Doan Van Sau from Cuong Tan Co said the 10 billion VND deal would bring
great success to his business given that buyers of the new rice strains were
increasing rapidly.
Dr Tram said she allowed the buyers to produce that it would sell seed at a
reasonable price.
Tram began her career in 1968 at the Institute for Cash Crops and Foodstuff
where she worked under the guidance of world-known agronomist Professor
Luong Dinh Cua. During this period she developed new hybrid rice strains
such as NN-9, NN-10, NN-23, NN75-6
>From 1985, she worked as a lecturer at Agriculture University No.1 after
returning from the former Soviet Union where she studied at the Rice
Research Institute.
>From 1994, Tram produced new hybrid rice strains including TH3-4, TH3-5,
TH3-11, TH5-1, TH6-3 and TH2-3.
In 2005, she was given the Kovalevskaya Award and, in 2005, a State award
for science and technology for significant contributions to agricultural
development.
A retiree, Tram keeps travels to many localities to study and find new rice
strains for local farmers.
"I have made several field trips to Son La and will establish a specific
area for rice research and production there to help local farmers," the
66-year-old scientist said.-Enditem
Associate professor Nguyen Thi Tram, Ph.D. a former lecturer at the
Hanoi-based Agricultural University No. 1, transferred the rights to rice
strain TH3-3 to Doan Van Sau, director of Cuong Tan Company Ltd, in Nam Dinh
province.
In 2005, the long-grained, fragrant variety was recognised as a national
rice variety and given a licence two years later.
The rice has a growth period of only 105-125 days, is able to survive harsh
weather, resists common pests and diseases, and yields 6-8 tonnes per
hectare, one to two tonnes more than other local rice strains.
Since 2003, farmers in the northern provinces of Hanoi , Thanh Hoa, Ha
Tay, Ha Nam and Hung Yen have used Tram's new strain on a trial basis.
"For several years, the TH3-3 strain has proved its stable quality and
productivity," said Dr Tram, who was also former deputy director of the
Agricultural Biotechnology Institute.
The new hybrid rice variety is now grown on 30,000 ha in 26 provinces in the
north, Tram said.
According to an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, TH3-3's productivity is higher than other strains, which
yielded 6.5 tonnes per ha for the recent winter-spring crop in northern
Vietnam.
"The development of the hybrid rice strain was an encouraging move in
Vietnam 's agricultural science," said Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the
Agricultural Ministry's cultivation department.
He said the ministry would expand cultivation area for it in coming years.
Doan Van Sau from Cuong Tan Co said the 10 billion VND deal would bring
great success to his business given that buyers of the new rice strains were
increasing rapidly.
Dr Tram said she allowed the buyers to produce that it would sell seed at a
reasonable price.
Tram began her career in 1968 at the Institute for Cash Crops and Foodstuff
where she worked under the guidance of world-known agronomist Professor
Luong Dinh Cua. During this period she developed new hybrid rice strains
such as NN-9, NN-10, NN-23, NN75-6
>From 1985, she worked as a lecturer at Agriculture University No.1 after
returning from the former Soviet Union where she studied at the Rice
Research Institute.
>From 1994, Tram produced new hybrid rice strains including TH3-4, TH3-5,
TH3-11, TH5-1, TH6-3 and TH2-3.
In 2005, she was given the Kovalevskaya Award and, in 2005, a State award
for science and technology for significant contributions to agricultural
development.
A retiree, Tram keeps travels to many localities to study and find new rice
strains for local farmers.
"I have made several field trips to Son La and will establish a specific
area for rice research and production there to help local farmers," the
66-year-old scientist said.-Enditem
