Cantho, Vietnam
September 28, 2006
Vietnam becomes the third Asian
country to implement Arize.
On September 21, 2006
Bayer CropScience launched its rice hybrid Arize® B-TE1 as
the first company to introduce hybrid rice seeds in Vietnam. The
launch ceremony took place in Cantho, a city in the Mekong
Delta. More than 250 wholesalers, seed retailers and farmers
were present.
Mr. Frederic Arboucalot, General Manager Rice Bayer CropScience
said “With the launch of our first high yielding Arize® hybrid
rice seeds in Vietnam, we are aiming at being a leading player
in providing sustainable and profitable solutions to the
Vietnamese rice farmers. The development of our hybrid rice seed
business here confirms our commitment to the local rice
community”
Mr. Pham Van Hiep, a leading farmer from Soc Trang commented
about the profitable and high yielding hybrid, coming together
with good grain quality, “Arize® B-TE1 did not lodge, showed
good tillering, less pest, high yield. I have tested it in
winter-spring season 05/06 and got 9830 kg/ha, this has given me
an additional yield of 3330 kg/ha over local rice inbreed. It is
a good product for this area and I want to grow it on a larger
acreage next season”.
Hybrid rice Arize® B-TE1 has been widely tested in various
agro-climatic conditions and seasons in Mekong Delta in Vietnam
since 2004 and was the first rice hybrid to receive the
registration approval for South Vietnam region from the Ministry
of Agriculture & Rural Development (MARD) in June 2006. The
launch of Arize® B-TE1 in Vietnam is part of a long term
strategy of Bayer CropScience for hybrid rice business. Further
to India and the Philippines where Bayer CropScience is already
leader on the hybrid rice seed market, the company is opening
its hybrid rice business in Vietnam and Indonesia in 2006 and
then in China, Pakistan and Bangladesh by 2007 in a larger plan
to expand in a total of 10 countries in 10 years.
Arize® is the global umbrella brand for the hybrid rice seeds
from Bayer CropScience BioScience. Hybrid rice, which recently
has been expanded to various countries by Bayer CropScience, is
yielding considerably more than the best inbred varieties grown
under similar conditions. By breaking the yield frontier hybrid
rice contributes to the increase in profitability of the
farmers. These high quality seeds have excellent genetic purity
and germination rate. It presents excellent grain, cooking,
aromatic and taste qualities, which are meeting the market
standards. |