Field Guides to Food

Cost of Crossfertilization

Once rice gets crossfertilized to the extent that one rice variety is overwhelmed by another, the farmers buy new seed for that rice variety. Crossfertilization has an added cost to a farmer as it effects the cost for new seeds as well as lowers the selling price. Furthermore many farmers would rather sell this (crossfertilized) rice and buy more desireable/more palatable (single variety) rice for personal consumption.

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