HarvestPlus works with the Indonesian government to scale up equitable and cost-effective access to nutritious zinc-biofortified rice in the country. This is part of the government’s strategy to address the effects of widespread malnutrition—particularly stunting. As of 2018, close to 3 in every 10 children under five years of age in Indonesia were stunted.
Sulaiman Ginting
Indonesia’s first variety of zinc rice, locally known as NutriZinc, was first developed by the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICCR) with support from HarvestPlus and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). By 2020, NutriZinc was planted across nine Indonesian provinces with the highest incidence of stunting.
HarvestPlus is working with Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS) to accelerate the rollout of NutriZinc. Meanwhile, several other varieties of zinc rice are currently being developed as well subsequent product development plans for these new generation varieties.
Biofortification, along with food fortification, is the Indonesian Government’s first and foremost strategy to combat nutritional challenges” Director for Food and Agriculture at the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS)
Biofortified Crops in Indonesia*
*Includes varieties shown to meet HarvestPlus standards. Other varieties may be available in the country.
Varieties Released Database
This searchable database provides information on all biofortified crops variety releases by country.
Areas of Expertise
Crop Development
We breed, test and release biofortified zinc rice varieties in partnership with the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS), the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Indonesia’s first variety of zinc rice, locally known as NutriZinc, was first developed in 2018 and then planted in nine Indonesian provinces with high prevalence of stunting in the following two years. ICRR has now established a breeding program for zinc rice biofortification and has evaluated more than 250 rice varieties as part of this process.
Seed Multiplication
The production of zinc rice seed is under way by various institutions, which include Government-run institutions, local seed producers, and some SMES. Currently, 30 metric tons (MT) of certified seed have already been produced.
Seed and Grain Distribution
This seed is being harvested and redistributed to small-scale farmers who are part of the seed subsidy program. Local seed producers (such as PT Pertani) are also expected to expand seed production to wider areas. Moreover, local governments have assigned farmer groups to plant the NutriZinc seed.
Market Development
HarvestPlus is actively engaged with the Indonesian government and other partners along the value chain in designing a roadmap for the introduction of zinc rice to producers and consumers. The Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS) is HarvestPlus’ primary partner within the early scaling process.
Biofortification news in Indonesia
HarvestPlus Partners with Indonesia Govt. to Scale Up Zinc-Biofortified Rice
HarvestPlus is working with the Indonesian government to scale up equitable and cost-effective access to nutritious zinc-biofortified rice in the southeast Asian nation. The government’s target for 2021 is to have zinc rice planted on 100,000 hectares (ha) of farmland, primarily in provinces that show the highest rates of childhood stunting, and then increase the […]
Launch of High-Zinc Rice in Indonesia Could Help Stem Childhood Stunting
The cognitive and physical development of nearly a third of Indonesian children under five is stunted because of poor nutrition. Without sufficient corrective action, the learning and earning potential of the world’s fourth most populous country will be stunted, too. Indonesia already loses more than US$2.6 billion a year in gross domestic product due to vitamin […]
New Global Standards Will Help Spur Trade in Nutrient-Enriched Grains and Foods
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published the first-ever international standard for nutrient-enriched (biofortified) grains, which will serve to identify these grains in the marketplace and spur increased trade. The Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 233 sets standards for the levels of zinc in wheat, rice, and maize grain, and is available free of charge from the BSI […]