Rice Development Programme INTRODUCTION The Rice Development Programme (RDP) is a component of the Field Food Crop Group. Its main mission is to promote wide adoption of improved technologies for sustainable increased rice production in all ecologies upland, irrigated and rainfed lowland, and deepwater and tidal wetland and environments: from high altitude to coastal areas and from temperate to tropical climates. Sustainable increased rice production results not only in more rice for food and more incomes for farmers but also in better conservation of the natural resource bases and global environment. The RDP carries out its mission in close collaboration with the International Rice Commission especially in the implementation of the Commission's recommendations and to a lesser extent with other technical units of FAO, rice research and development programmes in member countries, international and regional institutions, NGOs and farmers associations.   WORK PROGRAMME The major elements of the RDP's work programme during 1999-2000 include:  Promotion of the development and use of Hybrid Rice outside China. Promotion of the test and demonstration of new plant type under various agro-ecologies in West Africa. Support to the development and use of inland swamps for rice-based crop production systems. Support to the training of staff of National Rice Progammes Support to the development of Integrated Crop Management by NARS Popularization of the "Thriving with Rice" Concept and Technologies (*the development of rapid straw decomposition in collaboration with ICRISAT) Support to the International Rice Commission Support to other technical units of FAO Publications  News/Events Databases  Staff  BACK TO RICE