The seed industry has a rich heritage and a record of outstanding contributions to the productivity of agriculture and to improving the welfare of people and the environment around the world. Over the past century, yields in the US have increased five-fold for corn, threefold for wheat and four-fold for cotton Such gains have not been confined to the US. The International Seed Federation reports that between 1910 and 2000, wheat yields in Fiance increased fivefold; in India wheat yields increased thire-fold between 1960 and 2000; and in South Africa, maize yields increased almost three-fold between 1950 and 2001. These gains were the result of investments in research and development and the willingness of farmers to adopt new technologies. It goes without saying that without these gains hunger would be greater, as would be the concern about our rural environment But, there is still more to do.
展开▼
