Over 4,000 Filipino rice samples kept in Norway's Svalbard Global Seed Vault

MANILA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has deposited 4,417 samples of Filipino rice in Norway's Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the country's Department of Agriculture (DA) has said.

The majority of the Philippine samples were collected by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) since the 1980s, the DA said in a press release on Sunday.

"Each genetic resource accession has been meticulously profiled and documented, ensuring its identity and integrity. PhilRice plans to send another batch of collections next year, deepening its commitment to preserving global rice biodiversity," the DA said.

Established in 2008 and located deep in Arctic permafrost on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is jointly managed by the Norwegian government, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, and the Crop Trust. The facility is designed to safeguard up to 4.5 million distinct seed varieties, serving as an insurance policy for global agriculture against threats such as war, climate change, and natural disasters. Enditem