RIcEP-~UND,
CITY OFFICE:
MANILA
HOTEL, MANILA
Tar.
MAiL
THE
49-11 I-67
INTERNATIONAL
?vhNIl.~
ADDRESS:
RICE
RESXAICH
?. 0. Box 183
MANILA,
PHILIPPINES
May 30, 1972
Dear Peter:
Enclosed you will
find the response that we have prepared
to the questions raised in your letter
of May 3, 1972. I hope
that they will be satisfactory.
I am full9 aware of some of the serious considerations
that the TAC is wrestling
with regarding the AVRDC. Reading
between the lines,
I guess that the problems are more geopolitical
than anything else and, of course, we regret the
recent expulsion of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the
I must say that when one is in Taiwan, business
United Nations.
still
goes on as usual, and I believe that we can operate
With the substantial
support that we are
satisfactorily
there.
receiving
from the Republic of China, amd considering
the stage
of development at the time I made the commitment to serve as
the first
director,
there seems to be no alternative
but to
continue to develop the Center in Taiwan.
The building
program has gone? ahead well, and the service
building
is now complete and most of the other btliildings will
be finished tot later than August.
We still
need money for
additional
residences to accommodate the scientific
staff,
and
we should have the training
center building
and the guesthouse
Anyway, we are going ahead with our program
within a year.
because we are essentially
assured of at least U.S.$l million
for operating costs,,
I do hope that it will be possible for me to say a few
words about the Center in Washington in early August.
However,
I do not want to be too pushy about it, and I shall do only
what I am invited
to do, of course.
~NsTlTUTf
Dr. Peter Oram
May 30, 1972
Page 2
-------------After
July
2, 1972, my addrese will
be:
. AVRDC
P.O. Box 42
Shanhua, Tainan
Taiwan (741)
Republic of China
With kind personal
regards.
Sincerely
yours,
Robert F. Chandler,
Director
Dr. Peter A. Oram
Secretary,
Technical Advisory Committee
Food and Agriculture
Organization
of the United Nations
Via delle Term@ di Caracalla
OOlOO-Rome, Italy
/lid
encl:
a/s
Jr.
Response to questions raised by the TAC as trsnsmitted
in
I972
to
Robert
F.
Chandler.
Peter Oram's letter
of May 3,
For the sake of order
be restated
They will
briefly
here,
such high priority
of calories
countries;
a Vegetable
toward export
needs of the other
developing
that
with
such as potatoes,
peoples
of the world
grains,
principally
are generally
most logical
are larger
suppliers
of developing
be termed luxury
crops.
in Taiwan might
rather
than toward the
countries.
cassava,
of a few starchy
sweet potatoes
as their
root
and yams, few
principle
rice,
wheat,
and maize.
source of
minerals
However, the cereals
and vitamins,
and the
and most common sources of these necessary
is difficult
merit
food of mankind as a whole is the cereal
are the vegetable
to obtain
data from the developing
However,
vegetables
located
production
the exception
low in proteins,
of the human diet
It
Center
use vegetables
The staple
calories.
to the inhabitants
thev might more properly
that
is true
as to whether
as compared to crops that
whether
be too oriented
crops,
will
by the answer we have prepared.
was raised
and proteins
Also some felt
It
followed
each question
be numbered as they were in Dr. Oram’s letter.
The question
1.
and convenience,
the Department
crops.
accurate
countries
ingredients
wfth
of Agricultural
production
respect
and consumption
to vegetables.
Economics of the College
-2of Agriculture
of the University
of the Philippines.
a thorough
study of the food consumption
To support
our claim that
vegetables
may we cite
a few figures
luxury
crop,
mately
2,100 families,
included
in this
averaging
survey.
from the equivalent
patterns
from this
The per capita
annual
grains
commodity group (143.7
with
consumption
their
popular
with
were separated
into
with
order)
sweet potato,
that
income),
kilograms
per person
an average per
groups in accordance
the five
eggplant,
(those
exceeding
were tomato,
U.S.$230 per year)
and sweet potato.
It
is noteworthy
were common to each group,
Onions and cabbage,
viz.
tomato,
with
most
sweet potato
top ranking
vegetables
incomes
cabbage,
eggplant,
that
three
onion
of the vegetables
sweet potato
by both groups,
tops and water
(those
in
per capita
eggplant,
though desired
than sweet potato
were (listed
The comparable
convolvulus.
an
consumed more cereal
several
for the high income families
expensive
were
crops consumed by the low income famil'ies
less than U.S.$60 per capita
and water
Approxi-
per year.
The survey revealed
incomes.
a
incomes variei
came second with
of 67.1 kilograms
vegetable
descending
tops,
the people
However, vegetables
The families
study.
7.2 persons per family,
Naturally
capita
of Filipinos.
of U.S.$SOO to as low as U.S.$36,
than any other
made
are by no means purely
average of U.S.$.l.57.
per year).
recently
and tomato.
are more
convolvulus.
In our intitial
vegetables
proposal
we ~%~ea~~~ the nutritional
Actually
as a whole.
the protein
day for many vegetable
crops exceeds that
source of both proteins
and carbohydrates
example,
considering
days, and the rice
grams of protein
ha/day
that
grain
contains
per hectare
will
Yields
obtained,
with
sources
a production
yielded
three
yield
for
protein
for
of the
have been
of protein
Even the dry mung
Lo-9 kg/ha/day,
Similar
which is over
data were
soybeans.
To look at the situation
vegetable
is 3.26 kg/
per hectare
of protein.
of rice.
kilo-
to snap beans)
of 632 kilograms
beans in the same experiment*
times the daily
in 115
of protein
as high as 15.36 tons per hectare
in 67 days, which is 9.50 kg/ha/day
obtained
is obtained
This
For
Asia.
7.5 per cent protein,332
Asia is the green pods (comparable
mung bean.
the most common
in tropical
be harvested.
crops that,
another
when ready for
way, there
serving,
of
per hec%are per
of rice,
of 5.75 t/ha
One of the highest
of protein.
tropical
a yield
yield
value
are many
have a much higher
*A study of protein yields of vegetable crops conducted by
Dr. Henry M. Munger at the College of Agriculture,
Los Bafios,
Philippines
in 1969-1970.
protein
content
than cooked rice.
In the following
table
a few
examples are cited:
FOOD ITEM
PRCYIEINCONTENT
(7.1
Soybeans, boiled
12.8
Mung beans,
boiled
11.0
Chick peas, boiled
9.3
Water convolvulus,
boiled
7.4
Garlic
7.0
Sweet potato
that
leaves,
boiled
Taro,
boiled
2.4
Rice,
boiled
2.2
We do not wish to belabor
the point
except
if
vegetable
crop improvement
the effort
is put into
planned by the Asian Vegetable
have every reason to believe
tion,
2.7
and the nutrition
In looking
polished
vegetable
constituents
contains
out again
that
Research and Development Center,
that
the income, the labor
of the small Asian
at human nutrition
rice
to point
alone,
no vitamin
crops produce abundant
for human nutrition.
farmer will
we
utilizaimprove.
we should not forget
C and no vitamin
is
A, while
amounts of these essential
that
many
-5In answering
the critfeiem
Taiwan may cause it
crops,
to direct
its
pro nm more toward
our answer is to ask the examiners
note that
let
%h%%lOi2
we have no plans
the canning
research
In a later
we shall
for work outside
It
is our belief
of the Center will
beneficiary.
witth the vegetable
nothing
go into
"evil"
2.
mushrooms,
crops of Taiwan.
a little
more detail
that
the orientation
regarding
be such that
there
the small
also,
is little
crops.
of the research
farmer will
a large
vegetable
farmer,
in our
economy of scale associated
Also mighs we mention
about developing
program
be the first
As we mentioned
that
a crop for export,
would be concerned with Asia and %he tropical
not alone with
handle
of Taiwan.
could not benefit
proposal,
We shall
agencies
export
to
crops.
such crops as asparagus,
This does not mean that
for example,
original
with
government
Which are the prominent
section
of the proposal
to work on the export
or local
and development
and pineapple,
plans
industry
the export
world
there
is
Naturally
we
as a whole -
Taiwan.
The question
too many vegetable
was raised
as to whether
crops for the budget
we have included
and staff
in our original
proposal.
-----osoPI-This may be a warranted
intention
to indicate
cri%icfem
of our plan.
how we would eep rate
It
the vegetable
was our
crsps
-6into
three
categories
and assign
each group of vegetables.
few different
crops.
have to single
our initial
Obviously,
attention
a rainy
during
itself,
climates
to them.
the remainder
of this
Ceylon and the southern
America,
would include
of the initial
all
definition
initial
scientific
we all
agree that
discuss
many parts
humid tropics
regions
the subject
to Taiwan
Burma,
areas of the
of Central
to the TAC, the planning
due primarily
to the fact
are now fully
employed else-
full
time to the effort
the other
program came about after
members were on the job.
the initial
inadequate
of West Africa.
at IRRI and at all
of the specific
staff
Thailand,
In other
proposal
on the project
as was true
In addition
of South America,
no% be able to devote
Also,
we shall
but with
Indonesia,
of India.
in our formal
those working
1972.
the real
Malaysia,
part
a
can be found in the Philippines,
program is incomplete,
where and will
July
sort
quite
crops and direct
in the hot,
of the year.
and of the equatorial
As was stated
that
each category
to
We plan to examine the problems
farmer who lives
Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,
it
within
we mentioned
season of 6 to 8 months duration,
rainfall
world
In the process,
out a few of the most important
faced by the small
with
one breeder-horticulturist
However,
until
centers,
the
since
focus must be on fewer crops we shall
in the following
paragraphs.
-7”
At the outset
senior
staff
vegetable
may we pain% out a
members with
Ph.D. de rees will
They will
improvement program.
Thus with
will
be placed
the
by 12
have received
at least
selected
people
a number of different
projects
effectively.
We do not plan to change the leafy
listed
be handling
a team of 15 carefully
we should be able to handle
selections
full-time
three
be assisted
each of whom will
Chinese professionals,
a N.Sc. degree.
in that
vegetable
Initial
on page 9 of the proposal.
&I Chinese cabbage, petchay
program from the
emphasis
and the common heading
cabbage e
One of the projects
open-pollinated
varieties
and it
early
attention
of common cabbage that
Now all
in hot climates.
are hybrids
to receive
of the heat-tolerant
is necessary
to import
to develop
15
will
produce well
cabbage varieties
PI seed from Japan or
elsewhere.
Among the fruiting
to the tomato,
vegetables
the eggplant,
I major attention
and the mung bean.
the tomato and the eggplant
in the tropics
anyone at all
these crops.
containing
popular
familiar
somewhat less protein
throughout
improvement will
other
with
international
the tropics
qu1ckl.y benefit
or regional
will
The problems
are well
understood
of
by
The mung bean, although
than the soybean,
and sub-tropics
is already
of Asia and
many farm families.
center
be paid
is placing
its
Also no
emphasis cn
-8this
important
disease
crop.
and insect
the protein
content
Great
resistance,
its
will
mentioned
yield
potential,
its
and
be paid to sweet corn (one project
popularity,
from the crop3 and the high
will
increasing
is
on page 15 of the proposal).
Also because of its
minor attention
basic
for
of the seed.
Minor attention
specifically
scope remains
the high income to be derived
incidence
of disease
and insect
attack,
be paid to the melons - particularly
the
muskmelon.
Among the root,
tuber,
and bulb crops,
go ahead with
the sweet potato,
These, again,
are selected
nutrition
because they
proposal.
discussed
the sweet potato
It has been proved many times that
any other
Philippines
important
tropical
crop.
in a paper entitled,
to the protein
sweet potatoes
earners,"
that,
compared with
a hectare
than by
of the
industry's
showed that
of sweet potatoes,
as many people as would a hectare
produce 50 times more calcium,
more food per
"The vegetable
twice
rice,
on page 16 of the
Dr. Ruben Villareal
p,ap among low salaried
produced by a hectare
in human
and sub-tropics.
per day can be produced by growing
calories
and the Chinese radish.
loom large
and farm income in the tropics
We have already
hectare
the onion,
major programs will
of rice.
the
would support
He showed also
of sweet potatoes
12 times more iron,
answer
would
8 times more
-9-
thiamine,
and 11 times more ribofl
The yellow
varieties
now available
source of vitamine
vitamin
completely
potatoes
absent
program,
coupled with
The onion is a popular
intensive
of sweet
that
studies
sweet potato
A, a
with
of manage-
can be created.
crop because of its
demand in urban
Onions are grown on many Asian farms as a cash crop on
markets.
land during
the off
seed has to be imported
seed without
impractical
procedure
work indicates
tropical
that
onion,
States
Philippines
varieties
season.
yearly
not produce
United
top yields
We believe
are low.
an even better
ment and physiology,
rice
Although
in rice.
average yields
are high,
a good breeding
are an excellent
sweet potato
cold-temperature
under most circumstances.
by crossing
with
because the varieties
special
progress
onion varfeties
are tolerant
developed
to tropical
and Japanese,
but it
For example,
is highly
Red Globe from the
Such
but the bulbs
the varieties
popular
is eaten in varying
Chinese radish
amounts to about 10,OOC)metric
production
a truly
are too
grown from
seed.
The Chinese radish
as well.
- an
Some preliminary
in India.
conditions
small to compete on the market with
imported
treatment
from the Southern
such as Dingras
varieties
new
grown will
might be made in developing
varieties
and similar
tropics,
in the
However,
among Chinese,
Koreans
degrees by other
Asians
production
tons annually.
is over 10 times higher
in the Philippines
In Taiwan,
than in the Philippines.
the
-lOIn addition
will
to these three
be paid to the white
program with
(already
Potato
resistant
potato
that
have worked with
distinct
varieties,
will
yield
as there
We realize
will
well
be to create
that
there
is a feeling
the minimum.
Generally,
junior
scientists
in each program.
We shall
feel
Undoubtedly
we have considered
and four
run,
that
will
one senior
yet of sufficient
for
scientist
could do the job
more than IRRI
per
that
donors if
small operation
which will
our
we made
be
Certainly
size to have an impact.
give us more latitude
we
of the Chinese people.
to prospective
we could use more money and we could easily
estimate
that
(and perhaps we are wrong about this)
to have a reasonably
efficiently
is a
have to have high productivity
would be more appealing
an attempt
this
we are asking
mechanize our operation
on the energy and drive
project
Those who
to the white
farm laborers
man.
also,
that
of
among TAC members that
we shall
We thought,
a variety
in Asia.
has, and, of course,
We are banking
disease
in the humid tropics.
is to the sweet potato,
too modest a budget.
four
Dr. Sawyer, the
There is no stigma attached
are proposing
with
with
in Peru
to developing
the crop in hot climates
possibility.
potato,
Research Center
in addition
attention
be a cooperative
discussions
The main objective
and insect
considerable
This will
we have had preliminary
director),
white
potato.
the International
crops,
major
prepare
a budget
than the existing
one.
-llCertain
3.
receive
should
TAC members considered
ghe endorsement
that
of the Cozmnittee,
if
its
the Center
Board of Directors
come from more sources thaw the countries
contributing
that
are now
The ideas were expressed
to the Center.
is to
that
the
Board must have ample degrees of freedom and that
governing
representatives
of "member countries'"
with
decisions
the policy
should not interfere
unduly
being made from time to time.
---------e-Without
with
this
question
"Section
2 of Article
II
2 - Membership shall
organizations
and Associate
Theoretically,
viewpoint.
To quote Section
subject
the Director
that
is no great
in the Charter
problem.
countries/
to the common cause of the Center,
of the Board of Directors
vote of the members of the Board.
by majority
Won-contributing
members shall.
not be voted to become members of the Board of Directors
participate
we realize,
is not an entirely
attempt
to change the Charter
and we shall
of the Board,
Directors,
but may
as observers."
This,
Director
agree
of the AVRDC,
also be open to other
are dedicated
to the.approval
there
Directors
which will
of the Center,
will
the Board without
statement
at the next meeting
be held in August or September 1972.
who
introduce
tying
satisfactory
is
also a member of the Board of
a proposal
it
The
tc actual
to broaden
monetary
the membership of
contributions.
Tn
-12fact,
the director
additional
Board members similar
We hope that
we can continue
contributing
to receive
Republic
that
here that
the courses
Dr. T.H.
used by ICRISAT.
of a compromise so that
this
will
up until
now the government
has provided
of action.
100 per cent.
stating
that
support
from its
4.
no other
of the
substantial
We believe
host country
in Taiwan might
restrict
and the exchange of information
of the
support
without
of the Director,
that
center
that
was raised
of
The Chairman of the Board,
international
The question
support
be possible.
Shen, has welcomed the suggestions
has cooperated
of
and yet broaden the scope and thinking
of China (Taiwan)
dictating
for the selection
the moral and financial
We now believe
May we state
to that
we can reach some sort
countries,
the Board.
Center
a procedure
would welcome
and
we are correct
has received
in
the financial
AVRDC has.
as to whether
the free
the location
recruiting
on a world-wide
of the
of scientists
basis,
---s-------The answer,
present
political
as we see it,
situation
China from the United
this
is that
and the exclusion
Nations,
factor.
In the first
the Republic
restrictions
on the admission
we regret
the
of the Republic
of
we have not yet seen any signs of
becoming a limiting
place,
although
of China has placed
of nationals
no
from the so-called
free
-l%-
and the government
scientist,
right
we are now negotiating
For example,
naitions.
even though the two countries
of the AVRDC. It
and immunities
of China has done everything
operation
of the Center
we have not yet encountered
accept a position
Taiwan.
Americans,
positions.
further
and two Indians,
is that
international
staff
and all
staff.
members,
to
is located
several
in
Filipinos
and
are anxious
to
to us about senior
we shall
the next
Right
directly
and we expect
few months.
with
a
to hire
In fact
our real
not have enough houses to accommodate the
of our research
We agree that
We are dealing
young scientists
group of scientists
countries.
the
to ease the
because the Center
consideration.
of them within
beginning
that
person who hesitates
Some 30 persons have written
number of outstanding
initial
is clear
status,
Only one of these seems to be of high enough calibre
to receive
several
relations.
the legal
necessary
we have been in touch with
a Nalaysian,
be considered.
is all
an addendum to the
of prospective
a single
on our staff
far,
So
this
and to accommodate its
to the attitudes
With respect
find
which describes
memorandum of understanding,
Republic
that
have no diplomatic
and on page 9 you will
and the Charter,"
privileges
state
an Indian
a copy of the "Memorandum of Understanding
We are enclosing
worry
officials
with
whom we deem essential
for
a proper
program.
we should have active
now we are thinking
programs in several
of a possible
"relay
stationIs
-14in Thailand
and another
give us an opportunity
tropics,
ing vegetable
(still
to do some intensive
where the winter
The Korean station
temperatures
would probably
country)
vegetable
seed for the tropicsCof
vegetable
crops that
countries
support
You asked that
with
in describing
course principally
that
them now.
cooperative
the world’s
study-
with
of
those
India
and Ceylon.
programs.
our ideas regarding
and we would not wish to be presumptive
before
that
that
more widely,
and activities
working
out definite
plans.
by calling
our
Research and Development Center”
for consideration
by international
because Asia contains
it
learn
in the other
in the TAC that
“The Asian Vegetable
population
such Asian
for work in these
out more clearly
facilities
of the region
We believe
Malaysia,
Also we wish to travel
we are too restrictive
agencies.
work with
be sought
There seems to be a feeling
organization,
for
This would have to be done In consultation
involved
more about the present
countries
will
we spell
countries.
the countries
a place
becoming a major producer
Indonesia,
chosen for intensive
work in other
than in Taiwan.
the idea in mind of Korea
on cooperative
as the Philippines,
financial
into
humid
do not produce seed in the tropics).
We also plan to carry
Separate
would
work in the real
are higher
develop
with
seed production,
an underdeveloped
countries
The one in Thailand
one in Korea.
is deserving
some 2 billion
of major attention.
aid
of
-15Certainly
will
there
of seed, literature
matter
or
of concentrating
difference
decision
Latin
be no restriction
anything
the distribution
of value.
It
enough to have an impact.
between our choosing
that
else
regarding
CIAT principally
America and IITA will
to concentrate
will
look after
handle
the African
is only
a
We see no
on Asia,
and the
the problems of
scene.