The first rice yield of the Bayer initiative ‘Much More Rice’ has been harvested in the Malaysian regions Kedah and Perlis. Bayer SeedGrowth, MADA Corp, which cooperates with the Malaysian government along with the National Farmers’ Association, and the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture recently celebrated the first commercial harvesting of dry SeedGrowth treated padi seeds, which were grown on 2,200 ha. 900 growers were involved.

The ‘Much More Rice’ program has several components: First of all, Bayer has installed state-of-the-art seed treatment equipment at MADA Corp's premises. The company is licensed by the Malaysian government to treat up to 40 % of the seeds of the total rice growing area in the country. The company treats the seeds and supplies them to growers. “Our package and machinery has replaced the practice of how farmers are traditionally cultivating the padi in the region, which is time consuming, labor intensive and the results may not always be as desired,” explains Babu. “Bayer SeedGrowth technology makes it more convenient for seed producers and farmers as it helps them to avoid on average two sprayings in the first 50–60 days after sowing. Also, Bayer and MADA Corp employees support the farmers in the fields.” The reduced work force is especially important as the average age of Malaysian rice farmers is around 60 years and there is a huge labor shortage in the country. The program offers high quality treated seeds which are combined with crop protection solutions from Bayer. “The initiative is a great example of how the transformation towards a modern, dynamic and internationally competitive agricultural sector works”, Babu concludes.

Bayer supports growers in China, by introducing EMESTO™ Prime to the market in 2016. The innovative seed treatment product for potatoes is designed to combat soil diseases such as Rhizoctonia or black scurf and so far has been adopted well.