The Rice Development Programme implements the recommendations made during the Regular Sessions of the International Rice Commission. Based on the recommendations made during 18th, 19th and 20th Sessions of the International Rice Commission, the Rice Development Programme has given priority to the support for activities in Member Countries on the following areas during the recent past.

HYBRID RICE DEVELOPMENT AND USE

RICE INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT

INLAND VALLEY SWAMPS DEVELOPMENT AND UTILISATION

NEW RICE FOR AFRICA (NERICA)

THRIVING WITH RICE

SUPPORT TO THE SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY

I. HYBRID RICE DEVELOPMENT AND YIELD

I.1 Introduction:

Hybrid rice has a yielding advantage of about 15 to 20% over the best commercial rice varieties. The technology was developed in China and was first used there in 1976. Since 1984, the area planted to hybrid rice in China reached about 50% of the total rice area of the country. Through the cultivation of hybrid rice, China has sustainably increased its internal rice production, and this has enabled the country to reduce the area assigned to this crop in favour of other production activities. The successful exploitation of hybrid rice in China has encouraged many other rice producing countries to carry out their own hybrid rice studies. The delegates participated in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Sessions of the International Rice Commission and recommended FAO and Member Countries to support the development and use of hybrid rice for food security. Since 1990, the Rice Development Programme has increased its activities in support of the development and use of hybrid rice in Member Countries outside of China.

I.2 Activities:

The main activities include:

• undertook missions to discuss the national rice programmes with the competent authorities and assisted in the formulation of programmes for hybrid rice development and use;

• provided technical assistance and funding support for the training of staff of national programmes and farmers on hybrid rice technologies;

• provided technical assistance and funding support for the improvement of national facilities for hybrid rice research and development;

• organised forum/fora to promote exchange of information, experience, and genetic materials on hybrid rice and its technologies;

• collected, analysed and disseminated information on hybrid rice.

The Rice Development Programme has also actively participated in the implementation of activities of the Project on Hybrid Rice Development and Use in Asia, funded by the Asian Development Bank, and implemented by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), since 1998.

I.3 Main Achievements:

I.3.1 Technical support:

Following projects have been formulated and implemented since 1990:

• TCP/VIE/2251: Support for the Wide-spread utilisation of New Generations of High-Yielding Rice Varieties, Super High-Yielding Varieties and F1 Hybrids in Northern Vietnam, 1992-93;

• TCP/VIE/6614 (T): Strengthening National Capacity for Hybrid Rice Research and Hybrid Seed Production Technology in Vietnam, 1996-98;

• TCP/MYA/6612 (T): Training in Hybrid Rice Technology in Myanmar, 1996-98;

• TCP/BGD/6613 (T): Development and Use of Hybrid Rice in Bangladesh, 1997-99;

• TCP/PHI/8812 (T) and TCP/PHI/9066(T): Strengthening National Capacity for Hybrid Rice Development and Use, 1998-2001;

• TCP/EGY/8923 (T) and TCP/EGY/2801 (T): Training in Hybrid Rice Technology through Technical Cooperation between Developing Countries, 2000 – 2003;

• TCP/INS/8921 (A): Strengthening the Development and Use of Hybrid Rice in Indonesia, 2000 - 2001

• UNDP - IND/91/008: Development and Use of Hybrid Rice in India, 1992-98;

• UNDP - IND/98/140: Development and Large-Scale Adoption of Hybrid Rice Technology, 1999 – Ongoing;

• UNDP - BGD/89/045: Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification, 1996 – 2002.

1. Outside China, the cultivation of hybrid rice, on a large scale, started in Vietnam in 1992 and was followed by India, Bangladesh, Mynamar and the Philippines. It is estimated that, in the year 2002, hybrid rice was planted to about 300,000 ha in Vietnam; 160,000 ha in India; and several thousands of hectares in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines.

2. About 1,000 researchers, extension officers, and seed production specialists in Member Countries, especially Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam were trained on hybrid rice technology.

3. Knowledge on hybrid rice of tens of thousands farmers in Member Countries improved.

4. Infrastructures and equipment for the development of hybrid rice in 6 countries were upgraded/improved.

5. Medium-Term Programmes (4 to 5 years) were formulated for the development and use of hybrid rice in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam.

I.3.2 Information

• Database on hybrid rice varieties (Please see RICEINFO).

• A number of technical books and proceedings on hybrid rice has been published (Please see PUBLICATION)

II. RICE INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT (RICM)

II.1 Introduction:

The Green Revolution has substantially increased rice yield and production during the last 20 years. Recently, however, evidence indicates that the environment and resource base of rice production in many countries are being deteriorated and polluted. Moreover, the costs of rice production are increasing, which lead to lower farmers' income. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems have been developed and transferred to farmers to improve the efficiency of the application of fertilisers and pesticides in rice production. These systems, however, still leave behind a number of crop management practices untouched. Participants of the Expert consultation on yield gap and productivity decline in rice production, held in Rome, Italy, 5-7 September 2000, after reviewing the recent innovations in the field of crop management for rice production recommended FAO to assist member countries to develop and use the rice integrated crop management (RICM) systems.

II.2 Activities:

The main activities include:

• undertaken the review of the development and transfer of the Rice Integrated Crop Management (RICM) systems in a number of countries.

• undertook missions to discuss the national rice programmes with the competent authorities and assisted in the formulation of programmes on RICM systems;

• provided technical assistance and funding support for the training of staff of national programmes and farmers on RICM systems;

• organised forum/fora to promote exchange of information on RICM systems and their application;

• collected, analysed and disseminated information on RICM systems.

II.3 Main Achievements:

II.3.1 Technical support

• The development and test of RICM systems conducted in Brazil, China, Philippines and Viet Nam.

• 5 senior officers of rice programmes in In West Africa trained on High Yielding Technology for Rice in year 2000.

• Workshop on Participatory, Evaluation and Transfer of Technologies for Irrigated Rice Production in the Sahel Zone of West Africa, April 2001, in collaboration with WARDA.

• Workshop on the application of Ricecheck systems for rice production in Indonesia, February 2003 in collaboration with PAIA PRODS of FAO.

• Project TCP/THA/0167 Training on Integrated Crop Management Technologies for Production of Good Quality Rice Seeds; 2002 - On going

• Project TCP/RWA/2905 Support to the Programme on Intensification of Rice Production for Food Security; 2003 - On going

• Project TCP Request 2-VI-VIE-078 Integrated Crop Management Technology for Production of Good Quality Seeds in the Highlands and Mountainous Regions in Viet Nam, formulated.

II.3.2 Information

• A number of articles on RICM systems published in IRC Newsletter Vol. 50 (2001) and 51 (2002) and in the Proceedings of the Expert Consultation on Yield Gap and Productivity Decline in Rice Production (Please see PUBLICATION)

II.4 Major Characteristics of the Rice Integrated Crop Management (RICM) systems:

The RICM is a holistic crop management, using the best management practices with objective recommendations. The RICM is local specific. Each RICM package is useful only for a location or locations, where conditions of rice production are more or less similar or uniformed. The RICM should have the following characteristics:

Relevance, Repetition and Reinforcement.

• Relevance as weaknesses of the existing crop management practices are identified. Relevance as latest technologies developed by research are applied to correct each of the identified weaknesses.

• Repetition as the RICM is learning from its own experience. The RICM provides target recommendation (or criteria) for farmers, extension workers and researchers to evaluate the performance of each of the crop management practices. Participants of RICM observe the crop, measure and record the observed performance of each crop management. The records will be compared with the targeted recommendations (or criteria) to interpret what went right and/or what went wrong during the application of crop management practice in order to improve in the next season.

• Reinforcement as technologies used for correction of weaknesses in crop management are continuously updated with the results from research.

1. The development of RICM for a particular location needs the following steps:

• Setting a target yield: the target yield should be substantially higher than the mean yield in the location.

• Identification of the key weaknesses of existing crop management practices or key technological components that could substantially contribute to reaching the target yield involving research, extension and farmers. Most frequently the key technological components are: varieties, land levelling, time of planting/sowing and crop establishment, weed and insect control/management, nitrogen fertiliser management, and water management.

• Identification of best management practices for each of the key technological components using latest results from research.

2. The testing of RICM needs to be carried out in a participatory approach. Participants include a neighbourhood group of farmers, extension workers and researchers. In addition to field observations, which are made individually, the participants have 3 to 5 meetings per crop to share the experience. The meetings are pre-season, post-establishment, panicle initiation, pre-harvest and post-harvest.

III. INLAND VALLEY SWAMPS DEVELOPMENT AND UTILISATION

• Training staff of national programmes and farmers on improved rice-based crop production systems for the sustainable use of inland valley swamps.

• Providing support to the improvement of facilities for research and development of inland valley swamps in Member Countries.

• Promoting the exchange of information and experiences on improved rice-based production systems in inland valley swamps.

• Collecting, analysing, and disseminating information on improved rice technologies for use in inland valley swamps.

• Project SIL/89/008 Inland Valley Swamp Development in Moyamba, 1994 to 1998

• Project ZAI/92/001 Strengthening of National Rice Programme, 1992 to 1996

• Project ZAI/96/012 Strengthening of National Rice Programme (Phase II), 1996 to 1997

• Projet PNUD/FAO – DRC/2000/001 « Appui aux Producteurs du Secteur Agricole » et PNR pour la réalisation des travaux d’aménagement complémentaire, l’encadrement technique et le test de rendement au périmètre de TSHWENGE dans le Pool Malebo à Kinshasa, 2002

• Projet PNUD/FAO – DRC/2000/001 « Appui aux Producteurs du Secteur Agricole » et l’ONG LIDI pour la réalisation d’un programme intégré de rizi-pisciculture, de restauration des sols dégradés dans l’Hinterland et quartiers urbains Kananga, Province du Kasaï Occidental, 2002-03.

• GCP / DRC / / ITA Appui à la Production Rizicole pour une sécurité alimentaire durable et la lutte contre la pauvreté, in formulation

• The Regional Workshop on Development and Use of Inland Swamps held in 1996;

• The Regional Workshop on Wetland Classification for Agricultural Development held in 1997

• A manual on Swamp Rice Cultivation in Africa published in English and French;

• Database on Planted Rainfed Lowland Rice Varieties (Please see RICEINFO).

IV. NEW RICE FOR AFRICA (NERICA)

IV.1 Introduction:

Rice is the staple food in several countries in West Africa. The popularity of rice in the population of the region has substantially increased during the recent past. However, rice production has not been able to meet the demand of the growing population. In 1999, most of the national rice yields in the region were still lower than 2 tonnes/ha. Scientists at the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) have recently developed a number of promising rice varieties from crosses made between O. sativa and O. glaberrima. These rice varieties were named New Rice for Africa or NERICA. Since 1997, the RDP has collaborated with WARDA to carry out activities in support of the test and transfer of NERICA to farmers.

IV.2 Activities:

The activities, include:

• Undertook missions to discuss, with the scientists of WARDA and those of the national programmes in West Africa, especially those who are responsible for the Special Programme for Food Security, on measures to expedite the transfer of NERICA to farmers.

• Promoting the exchange of information and experiences on NERICA rice varieties.

• Provide technical support to formulate programmes and projects on NERICA

• Serve as member of International Organizing Committee for African Rice Initiative.

• Collecting, analysing, and disseminating information on improved rice technologies for use in inland valley swamps.

IV. 3 Main Achievements:

IV.3.1 Technical support

• Study tours for Coordinators of Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in Burkina Faso and Guinea to visit WARDA headquarters in 1998 to discuss programme of collaboration.

• Special Meeting for WARDA scientists, UNDP Officer, and National Coordinators of SPFS in Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Nigeria to discuss collaborative activities to transfer NERICA to farmers in these countries in March 2002.

• Project GUI/01/006/A/99 Multiplication and dissemination of NERICA seeds in Guinea, 2002 - On going.

• GCSP/GHA/028/UNO: Dissemination of Improved Rice Production Systems with emphasis on NERICA to Reduce Food Deficit and Improve Farmers' Income in Ghana, formulated.

• GCPS/SIL/021/UNO: Dissemination of NERICA and Improved Rice Production Systems to Reduce Food Deficit and Improve Farmers' Income in Sierra Leone, formulated.

IV.3.2 Information

• Database on promising varieties for different rice ecologies in West Africa (Please see RICEINFO).

V. THRIVING WITH RICE

V.1 Introduction:

Thriving with Rice aims at increasing not only rice productivity but also farmers' incomes and employment opportunities in rural areas, as well as conservation of natural resources. The concept is based on:

• Crop intensification and diversification.

• Full utilisation of the biomas of the rice plants

• Transformation and use of rice grains and their by-products.

• Utilisation of tools, equipment, and inputs that could be locally manufactured with local materials

The concept was developed and successfully tested from 1970s to the early 1980s in Asia. Delegates at the 16th (1985) and 17th (1990) Sessions of the International Rice Commission recommended the promotion of "Thriving with Rice" to improve rice production, rural employment opportunities, and farmers' incomes.

V.2 Activities:

The RDP supported the following activities of national programmes in Member Countries:

• Test, demonstration, and transfer of innovations in rice intensification and diversification, including the transformation of the biomas of the rice plants;

• Training of staff of national programmes, farmers, and craftsmen on the innovations and new technologies for rice intensification and diversification, including the transformation of the biomas of rice plants;

• Promotion of exchange of information and experiences on the application of "Thriving with Rice" concept and practices;

• Support specific research activities to develop new practices/innovations;

• Information collection, analysis, and dissemination on Thriving with Rice.

Between 1999 and 2001, RDP had collaborated with the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to develop methods for rapid composting of rice straw.

V.3 Main Achievements:

V.3.1 Technical support

The following field projects were formulated and implemented:

• GCP/RAF/266/JAP "Thriving With Rice" for small farmers in irrigated schemes in West Africa, 1991 to 1994.

• GCP/INT/525/JAP Transfer of Production Technology for Major Food Crops Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries, 1992 to 1995.

• SIL/89/008 Inland Valley Swamp Development in Moyamba, 1994 to 1998.

• ZAI/92/001 Strengthening of National Rice Programme, 1992 to 1996.

• ZAI/96/012 Strengthening of National Rice Programme, 1996 to 1998.

• BGD/89/045 Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification, 1996 – 2002.

Several thousand researchers, extension staff, farmers and craftsmen in various African and Asian countries, especially the Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal in Africa and Bangladesh in Asia, were trained on the concept and practices of "Thriving with Rice". The impacts of the application of the "Thriving with Rice" concept and practices in rice production, rural employment and farmers' incomes could be substantial, but are difficult to assess, due to the nature and the complexity of the concept. The following presentation of the project BGD/89/045 provides a summary picture of what could be achieved with the application of the "Thriving with Rice" concept and practices.

Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification Project
(GOB/UNDP/FAO: BGD/89/045)

INTRODUCTION

The Thana Cereal Technology Transfer & Identification Project (TCTTI), originally envisaged as a core component of the Government of Bangladesh's Accelerated Cereal Production Programme (ACP), is aimed at sustainable intensification of the production and productivity of rice, under irrigated conditions, by identifying appropriate varieties and location specific package of technologies, which permit crop diversification and development of sustainable intensive rice-based cropping systems.

OBJECTIVES

The major objective of the Project is to assist Bangladesh to achieve and maintain cereal/cereal-based, self-sufficiency and improve the diets and real income of rural and urban poor. The project has a major component of technology dissemination to promote the use of high productive cereal-based cropping practices, under irrigated conditions, and strengthen thana-based extension activities. It has also a got a minor component of technology identification to identify improved rice, maize and pulse genotypes appropriate for intensified cropping systems under irrigation.

AREAS OF INTERVENTION, ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The project activities started by December 1995, adopting a "farmer-first approach" for technology transfer, which is designed to enhance the level of farmer participation, including that of females of rural households, in diagnosing the critical problems requiring technology selection and developmental interventions. Some of the major activities undertaken, as well as the accomplishments, during the first three years of project intervention, are highlighted hereunder:

The project’s efforts, in creating a trained cadre of PRA practitioners, drawn from the nodal agencies viz; DAE, BRRI and BARI,utilising their services for conducting the PRA and household survey for establishing the data base for a baseline bench mark survey of 24 targeted thanas and 29 control thana, have been a major achievement. The Department of Agricultural Extension and the Ministry of Agriculture are now utilising the services of these trained PRA practitioners in extending this approach to other ongoing, as well as incoming, new projects of DAE; so as to have a resource inventory of all the thanas, eventually, and for identifying and prioritising farmer needs and perceptions in a more systematic way.

In order to help viewing research and extension as part of a continuum, ultimately aimed at helping the farmer, the project realised the need for institutionalisation of existing linkages between researchers, extension officers and farmers; for which a series of farmer-researcher-extension workshops have been arranged in collaboration with the nodal agencies, primarily for technology identification involving new varieties and appropriate technologies to suit the farmer-needs under specific ecosystem niches.

Compact block front-line demonstrations, organised in 64 thanas at the rate of five block demonstrations covering 25 acres each in every targeted thana, following a farming systems oriented developmental approach on selected rice- based cropping systems, promoting the idea of sustainable intensification of rice production and encouraging need-based crop diversification opportunities, involving hybrid maize, wheat and sunflower during the rabi season, followed by dual purpose grain legumes during the pre-kharif season and/or boro rice followed by green manuring during the pre-kharif season recorded encouraging results. Being in blocks of five acres each and covering on an average 11-14 farming families in each block there was group action, positive interaction and synergism among the participating farmers and the demonstration blocks were serving as the venue for farming system schools, providing hands-on training to nearly 3,550 men and 210 women farmers per annum in the area. The demonstrations, in general ensured better visibility, greater acceptance, increased replication and quick impact; apart from facilitating farmer-to-farmer exchange of quality seeds of promising rice varieties such as Brridhan 32, 31, 30 and 33 for T.aman season and Brridhan 28 and 29 for the boro rice season.

The concept of "community nurseries", to help ensure early sowing and timely transplanting of T.aman rice, is to bring in effective water use economy, pest management and early vacation of main fields, has been demonstrated widely in all the 64 thanas @ 5 demonstrations per thana, and it is getting popular acceptance. This is also helping wider adoption of farmer-saved seeds of new rice varieties from these demonstrations, mainly through the help of a trained cadre, of lady block supervisors and women farmers, from rural households in and around these demonstration blocks. More than 900 tons of quality seeds of promising Brridhan rice varieties, from the demonstration thanas, have been thus distributed during the year 1997-98, mainly through the efforts of trained women farmers. Early vacation of mainfield, facilitated by early planting, gives room for sandwich cropping of a grain legume, such as blackgram or an oilseed crop like mustard, in between the two major rice crops.

The concept of "integrated rice-fish culture", for increased ecosystem productivity and income generation during the T.aman rice season, which the project has been trying to revive in low land rice ecosystems, is catching the attention of more farmers, including the women from rural households. Realising the role of women in development, the project has been organising special training programmes for skill empowerment of women, in all such supplementary income- generating activities, aimed at poverty alleviation.

Project demonstrations on hybrid maize and wheat have significantly increased farmer adoption of hybrid maize and wheat and the area and production of these crops have been increasing significantly during the last two years. The level of natural adaptation of hybrid maize technology and development of small farmer poultry enterprises at the village level, utilising maize as a feed, have been quite encouraging.

Project interventions, involving promotion of grain legumes and/or green manuring during the pre-kharif season thro' 320 block demonstrations in 64 thanas, are critically being evaluated by the farmers, as a viable option for soil fertility recuperation and for ensuring sustainable intensification of rice production. By doing so, the project eventually envisages a shift in agricultural paradigm, from increased reliance on external inputs for creating optimal environments for crop production, towards better utilisation of the inherent abilities of improved rice varieties to respond to existing environments. this can be achieved by giving due emphasis to associated cultural management practices that would enhance efficient use of a proper blend of purchased inputs and home-grown inputs, with a concurrent increase in crop productivity and farm income, on a sustainable basis.

In view of the encouraging results so far recorded by the project, the high degree of ownership being demonstrated by the farmer beneficiaries and the level of natural adaptation of TCTTI technologies in the neighbourhood, the MOA/GOB has adopted the TCTTI model of compact block demonstrations as a matter of policy, and the concept has been extended to 80 additional thanas in the country during the year 1999, using GOB resources and funding support, which is ensuring a high degree of sustainability to the project in the future.

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PROJECT

• TCTTI: An overview (English) (5,000 copies), (Project Publication No. 1) Oct. 1996;

• Project Performance Evaluation Report, Enamul Hoque and K. G. Pillai, Oct. 1996 (Mineo);

• Community Nurseries for Rice: (in Bangla) (Project Publication No. 3) (10,000 copies) May 1997;

• TCTTI: An overview (in Bangla) (5,000 copies) (Project Publication No. 3) May 1997;

• Major Activities and Achievements of Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification Project in Bangladesh. M. Enamul Hoque, Md. Tofazzel Hossain, K. G. Pillai, R. N. Mallick and M. A. Awal. IRRC News letter, March 1998;

• Contingency Plans and crop life saving techniques under flood/drought affected situations, Project Publication No. 5 & 6 English (5,000 copies); Bangla (5,000 copies), Aug. 1998;

• Resource Manual: Location Specific Technologies For Rice-Based Cropping Systems Under Irrigated Conditions. Project Publication No. 7. English (1,000 copies), Sept. 1998;

• Technical Programme & Plan of Work; Instruction Manual. Project Publication No. 8. English (1,000 copies), Bangla (1,000 copies). Sept. 1998;

• Increasing Boro Rice Production In A Post-flood Scenario. Project publication No. 9 English (5,000 copies); Bangla (5,000 copies); Sept. 1998;

• Increasing Rabi Crop Production In A Post-flood Scenario. Project publication No.10 English (5,000 copies); Bangla (5,000 copies) Sept. 1998;

• Proceedings Of The Workshop On Disease Resistance Breeding In Pulses: Project Publication No. 11, English (1,000 copies), Sept. 1998;

• Problems and Prospects For Sustainable Intensification Of Rice Production In Bangladesh. Project Publication No. 12 (English) (3,000 copies); Sept. 1998;

• Increasing Boro Rice Production In A Post-flood Scenario (Bangla) (5,000 copies) (Project Publication No. 13) Sept. 1998;

• Seed production and storage; A training Manual for lady block supervisors (In Bangla) Project Publication No. 14 (1,000 copies) Sept. 1998;

• Proc. of the Farmer-Researcher-Extension workshops (organised by BRRI and BARI for Technology Identification) Project Publication No. 15 (English: 1,000 copies) Sept. 1998.

VI. SUPPORT TO THE SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY

Rice production systems provide not only food, but also main source of incomes and employment opportunities for poor people in rural areas of Asia and, to a lesser extent, in Africa and Latin America. In Asia, the wet land rice production systems are dominant, whereas in Sub-Sahara Africa and in Brazil the upland rice production systems are dominant. The upland rice production systems, however, are not stable and the populations in Sub-Sahara Africa and in Brazil are increasingly developing wetland rice production systems.

More than four-fifths of the world rice is produced and consumed by small farmers in low-incomes and developing countries. In 1996, nearly 3 billion people depended on rice as their major source of daily calories and protein. (Table 1)

Table 1. Some characteristics of the top 27 rice-consuming countries in 1996

a Adapted from FAO Food Balance Sheet, Jan. 1999.
b Adapted from FAOSTAT, Jan. 1999.
c Adapted from UN Statistical Yearbook (42nd Issue) 1995, 30 June 1997.

Attaining sustainable rice production for food security in Member Countries is of great importance to the International Rice Commission. Therefore, in addition to the earlier-mentioned activities, the Rice Development Programme (RDP) has also actively provided technical support and service to Member Countries, especially countries which participated in the Special Programme for Food Security. During the initial phase, a Special Programme for Food Security has four main components, which are the following:

• Water Control
• Crop Intensification
• Diversification
• Analysis of Constraints

Intensification of rice production is a major activity in the crop intensification component of the Special Programmes for Food Security in a large number of countries; even in countries where rice is not a traditional staple food crop (Table 2).

Table 2. Characteristics of countries, where rice production is a major activity of the crop intensification component of the National Special Programme for Food Security, although rice is not a staple food.

a Adapted from FAO Food Balance Sheet, Jan. 1999.
b Adapted from FAOSTAT, Jan. 1998.
c Adapted from UN Statistical Yearbook (42nd Issue) 1995, 30 June 1997.

Detailed information, on the activities and results of the Special Programmes for Food Security in different countries, is available at the Internet site: http://www.fao.org/spfs/