IRRI

27/10/2026

African and Asian leaders have called for a decisive move from rice strategies to implementation through increasing financing and investment across the whole value chains.

At the Global Rice Policy Dialogue 2026 in Addis Ababa, more than 80 policymakers, researchers, financiers, and private sector leaders from African and Asian countries called for stronger implementation of national rice strategies through investment across the entire value chain.

With Africa importing about 18 million tons of rice annually, the dialogue emphasized that turning policy commitments into coordinated action is integral to building productive, competitive, and resilient rice markets.

Co-hosted by the African Union Commission’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) and IRRI, in partnership with Africa Rice Center and the CGIAR Policy Innovations Science Program, and co-organized with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research - EIAR, the dialogue brought together leaders and experts from across the rice sector.

Learn the pathways forward from the dialogue participants here: https://bit.ly/4ipK5Z3

27/10/2026

IRRI and partners are demonstrating how mechanized direct seeding and precise fertilizer placement can reduce rice production costs while improving nutrient-use efficiency in Vietnam’s Red River Delta.

A 2.2-hectare demonstration in Ninh Binh, established by IRRI, the Ninh Binh Department of Agriculture and Environment, and VAG Group, recorded an average ~24% reduction in production costs, equivalent to approximately VND 9.3 million (USD 359) per hectare. Net profits also increased by more than VND 5 million (USD 193) per hectare compared with conventional practices. The model combines mechanized row direct seeding with fertilizer deep placement (mDSR-FDP), applying nutrients more precisely to reduce input costs and fertilizer losses.

“The scientific value of the model lies in creating a synchronized solution that transforms the farming system to adapt to the ecological conditions and farming practices in the Red River Delta,” said IRRI Senior Scientist Dr. Nguyen Van Hung.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3UoJ3EK

26/10/2026

Sub-Saharan Africa purchases approximately one-third of globally traded rice, the region’s second-largest imported crop, with countries spending an estimated USD 6–9 billion annually on rice imports. This presents both food security challenges and opportunities to strengthen local rice value chains.

Hear from African Union Commissioner H.E. Moses Vilakati, AGRA Board Chair and Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, and IRRI Director General Dr. Yvonne Pinto on how policy, investment, regional cooperation, and research can build resilient rice markets.

Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 15–16 October, the Global Rice Policy Dialogue 2026 brought together regional and global experts to discuss how rice markets can better withstand climate, economic, and market shocks.

Co-hosted by the African Union Commission’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) and IRRI, in partnership with Africa Rice Center and the CGIAR Policy Innovations Science Program, and co-organized with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research - EIAR, the dialogue brought together leaders and experts from across the rice sector.

26/10/2026

In the media: Data-driven tools to improve yields in Vietnam’s rice-shrimp farming systems

As rice-shrimp farming remains an important agricultural system in Vietnam’s coastal Mekong Delta, data-driven approaches can help farmers address production challenges and adapt to changing environmental conditions.

New research from IRRI identifies nutrient management (37%) and sowing time (29%) as the leading technical factors contributing to yield gaps in the region. Digital tools can help farmers make more precise, site-specific decisions as weather patterns and water conditions change.

IRRI and partners are developing a suite of digital tools to support precision agriculture and climate adaptation in rice-shrimp areas. These include rice-shrimp suitability maps, remote-sensing applications, water forecasts, Climate-Smart Maps and Adaptation Plans (CS-MAP), saltwater intrusion alerts, and WebGIS platforms.

Read more via AgNavigator: https://bit.ly/4yAhRB2

26/10/2026

26/10/2026

At the CCAC Annual Meeting, IRRI emphasized that reducing agricultural methane emissions requires moving beyond national climate commitments towards practical implementation, supported by financing, reliable data, and institutional cooperation.

IRRI Senior Scientist Dr. Alisher Mirzabaev said that sustainable cultivation practices can help reduce emissions, but adoption depends on whether farmers have the incentives, machinery, and technical support to make these changes worthwhile.

Know more: https://bit.ly/4k8yxMa

24/10/2026

How do we transform biodiversity and land-related commitments into investment-ready action on the ground?

Join IRRI, CGIAR, the ELD Initiative - Economics of Land Degradation, and GIZ at C*D COP17 for an insightful discussion on how synergies across the Rio Conventions (UNCCD, UNFCCC, C*D) unlock finance for biodiversity, land, Climate, and food security through integrated land use planning.

📅 Monday, 26 October 2026
🕕 18:15–19:45 GMT+4
📍COP17 Blue Zone, Vayk, Side-event Room 3

This event is in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia (MECC), the Green Gold-Mongolian Rangeland Research Center - Бэлчээр судлалын төв, WWF-Armenia, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye (MEUCC), FAO, and the C*D, UNCCD and UNFCCC secretariats, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

23/10/2026

How can crop-protection innovations be adapted to Africa’s diverse rice-growing environments?

IRRI joined FMC Agro Italia’s Rice Portfolio: Cultivating Opportunity meeting in Italy on 15–16 September 2026, bringing together scientists, research institutions, and rice-industry stakeholders to discuss advances in crop protection, varietal development, and seed systems.

IRRI Senior Scientist Dr. Melanie Connor presented the institute’s work across Africa, highlighting the importance of evaluating new technologies under local conditions. Discussions explored potential collaboration between IRRI and FMC, including field trials to assess crop-protection technologies in selected African countries.

Read more: bit.ly/4zeoHwU

23/10/2026

IRRI and Wadhwani AI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop and evaluate AI-powered agricultural advisory tools for rice farmers in India.

The collaboration will explore integrating validated pest and disease diagnostics into IRRI’s PaddyMitra chatbot, testing AI applications in the field, and ensuring digital recommendations are grounded in established agronomic science.

The partnership aims to make timely, accurate, and actionable advice more accessible to farmers and extension workers to revisit the adoption pathways.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4eEJscS

22/10/2026

Rice Today: Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is an established water management practice that can reduce irrigation requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. However, its feasibility depends on local topography, drainage, and rainfall patterns, making it difficult to implement in low-lying rice-growing areas prone to heavy rainfall and prolonged waterlogging.

In field demonstrations in Madhya Pradesh, India, under high-rainfall conditions, AWD reduced methane emissions by 16% compared with continuous flooding. Meanwhile, results also show that applying methanotrophs, methane-oxidizing bacteria that consume methane in flooded soils, achieved an approximately 40% reduction under continuous flooding.

These findings highlight the potential of biological approaches to complement existing water management practices, particularly in areas where drainage constraints limit AWD adoption. Further field validation across different rice-growing environments will help establish where methanotrophs can contribute to productive, lower-emission rice systems.

Read more: bit.ly/4ypr6DR