 In Thailand farmers continue
to test new lines and varieties developed by the Deptartment of Agriculture, but about 87%
(more than 1 million ha) of the total cassava area in the country is already planted with
new high-yielding varieties.In Vietnam 37 FPR variety trials are
being conducted in 12 sites, and more and more farmers are now planting improved
varieties, especially in the south.
In five pilot sites in North Vietnam, the adoption of improved
technologies, including new varieties, resulted in gross incomes that were 4-5 times
higher than those reported in 1994/95 at the beginning of the project.
Planting new higher yielding varieties is the easiest and most cost-effective way of
increasing farmers’ income. For that reason, CIAT and most national cassava programs
have placed major emphasis on conserving genetic resources and breeding new varieties.
Farmers are always interested in trying out new varieties. Farmer participation in variety
evaluation is therefore a good way of encouraging farmers to become involved in other
types of FPR trials, such as erosion control and fertility maintenance.
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