Aim and objective

Project aim

The project aims to establish a highly-productive, sustainable, traceable, quality-assured value chain for tropical medium grains (with specific characteristics) in the Mekong Delta (MD), benefiting rice-farming households and meeting established SunRice market requirements.

Objectives

The project is designed as a collaborative, transdisciplinary (Public Private Partnership) research program combining the scientific expertise, bodies of knowledge, investigative skills and discipline of public sector contributors with the markets, systems, product and high value rice chain operational experience of SunRice.  The co-investment partnership enables:

• Public research to concentrate on research, concept / system definition, testing, validating and ground truthing the scientific basis for selected solutions (to research objectives) in readiness for uptake and commercial role out, and
• SunRice to contribute their contextual experience and knowledge relevant to international rice production and chain operations into the research effort and be able and ready to plan, manage and fund uptake and adoption at scale.

The research team will incorporate both Australian and Vietnamese (from both national and provincial governments) researchers. The research team will link directly with the specialist skill of key executives, operators and scientists in the private partners in key areas including; markets and marketing; sustainability; quality and quality management; production, milling and processing; logistics, harvest and post-harvest; breeding and seed systems; and integrity and value protection.