SL Agritech forging rice deal with Thailand and Myanmar

SL Agritech Corp. is forging a tripartite deal with Thailand and Myanmar to develop and market hybrid rice in Asia.   Thai rice buyer and exporter Capital Rice Co. Ltd. is sending representatives to Manila next month for talks on the partnership.   "This is going to be comprehensive, involving all the aspects of rice production from seed production to marketing and labeling," SL Agritech president and CEO Henry Lim Bon Biong said in an interview with reporters Tuesday.   SL Agritech is offering seeds and technology to rear and cultivate hybrid rice, while Thailand and Myanmar are yet to disclose their contributions to the partnership.   Myanmar officials earlier proposed a production agreement with SL Agritech on hybrid-rice seed production, based on the 2011 agreement the Philippine company signed with Bangladesh.   Bangladeshi officials signed a collaboration agreement  to expand seed production to 5,000 metric tons (MT) with SL Agrictech. The agreement was signed last November in Manila.   To help Bangladesh meet is annual rice requirement of 35 million MT got 160 million Bangladeshis, SL Agritech said it assured Dhaka of uninterrupted supply of parent-line hybrid seeds.   SL Agritech has forged similar arrangements selling hybrid seeds to Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, and Myanmar.   In 2004, the company started selling five rice varieties under the Doña Maria brand which included Jasponica, Jasponica Brown, Miponica, Miponica Brown, and Jasponica Plus. SL Agritech is a unit of Sterling Paper Group of Companies. It started in 1998 as an unincorporated entity performing research work on hybrid rice. — VS, GMA News