Costs and benefits of plant genetic resource (PGR) conservations: the case of MARDI's rice genebank

• Published in: Agrobiodiversity in Malaysia II: conservation and sustainable utilization pp. 142 - 147
• Main Authors: Site Noorzuraini A.R, Mohd Syauqi N, Azuan A, Raziah M.L, Engku Elini E.A
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) 2011
• Subjects: Agrobiodiversity; Cost benefit analysis; Genetic resources conservation; Malaysia; Plant genetic resources; Rice fields
• ISBN: 9679365832; 9789679365832

Costs and benefits analysis for conserving biodiversity resources was done to determine whether the benefits can overwrite the costs of the activities involved. In this study the costs of MARDI's rice gene-bank were assessed by calculating the collection, preparation, maintaining, conserving and emolument based on secondary data. The benefits were assessed by tracing number of visitors, sources and requests for genetic materials, number of collaborative research and development (R&D)undertaken and most importantly rice productivity improvement over the years.The yearly average total cost of maintaining the gene bank from 2000-2009 wasestimated at RM426,300 or RM36.73 per accession per year. Since 1964,35 ricevarieties had been released and the average national rice productivity had improvedfrom 1.2 ton per hectare in 1970 to 1.4 tons, 2.5 tons and 3.6 tons per hectarerespectively in 1980, 1990 and 2008.