Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

RP to test pro-vitamin A rice

Posted on October 29, 2010

PNS — To test the adaptability and performance of rice varieties containing beneficial amount of beta-carotene, the country will conduct field trials on these varieties come dry season next year.

Atty. Ronilo A. Beronio, PhilRice executive director, said the country’s progress in pro-vitamin A rice research will help reduce incidences on vitamin A deficiency. Statistics from Food and Nutrition Research Institute revealed that around four of 10 children aged six months to five years old and three of 10 school children suffer from the deficiency. One of five pregnant and lactating Filipino women also lack vitamin A.

Using conventional method in breeding, plant breeders had introduced the gene for beta-carotene production into a local popular cultivar from a donor variety. To be transferred to farmers by 2013, the beta-carotene-laden rice can be grown organically and will be sold in a price comparable with the regular polished rice.

“The first approval of this type of rice will likely be given to our country as plant breeders have successfully crossed the donor plant with PSB Rc82. PhilRice will test the variety’s adaptability and performance after signing a material transfer agreement,” Beronio said after attending the recent 15th board meeting of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board held in Singapore.

With the introgression of the beta-carotene gene to PSB Rc82, Beronio said deficiency in Vitamin A is expected to decrease as a study published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that a cup of beta-carotene rice could supply half of the vitamin A needed every day. When consumed by the body, beta-carotene produces vitamin A.

Vitamin A deficiency results in poor eyesight and night blindness. The deficiency also damages the immune system increasing risk to common bacterial and viral infections and rate of mortality especially among children.

Beronio, who experienced night blindness while growing up in a fishing village in Palawan , said the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board is confident of the Philippines ’ capability to develop beta-carotene-rich rice owing to the country’s well-established regulatory frameworks on safety evaluation.

“The country’s National Committee on Biosafety under the Department of Science and Technology provides regulatory oversight on contained research, while the Bureau of Plant Industry strictly monitors field trials. We also have Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002 stipulating the rules and regulations on the importation and releases of plant and plant products derived from the use of modern biotechnology,” Beronio explained.

Other than the scheduled field testing of pro-vitamin A rice, PhilRice is currently increasing the rice’s resistance to bacterial leaf blight and tungro. Dr. Antonio A. Alfonsio, acting director of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Center, leads the project.

Meanwhile, two acceptability studies conducted by PhilRice and Internationnal Research Institute in 2004-2005 and Strive Foundation in 2005-2006 revealed that 69 percent of the respondents accept biofortified rice produced through biotechnology while 58 percent of farmers and rural consumers are willing to plant, buy, and sell rice similar to the varieties to be tested by PhilRice.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme