New Breed of Rice Raises Hopes for Kenya’s Domestic Rice Production

A new breed of rice in Kenya has been developed that uses water more efficiently and contains more protein than previously grown breeds. Rice consumption in Kenya is currently on the rise, while the country is still importing two-thirds of the rice it consumes. The breed, IR522, was created by the Kenya Agricultural Institute (KARI) in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines to help alleviate Kenya’s lack of rice production. Some of the scientists involved believe that IR522 is by far the most effective breed of rice they have introduced.