On June 17, 2025 (Reiwa 7), a workshop titled "Opportunities and Potentials for Black Rice Production in Upland Ecosystems of Laos" was held in Laos. The purpose of the workshop was to present the results of ongoing black rice research and to discuss future research directions. This research is being jointly conducted by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) of Laos, and the National University of Laos.

A total of 47 participants attended the workshop, including representatives from counterpart institutions NAFRI and the National University of Laos, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, regional agricultural and forestry offices, the Embassy of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), NGOs, and private rice milling companies.

During the workshop, knowledge was shared on topics such as:

• the current state of black rice distribution,
• efforts toward developing new black rice varieties, and
• optimal cultivation environments for high-quality black rice production.

In addition, research findings were presented on:

• the use of koji mold in making fermented rice drink (koji amazake) from black rice, and
• JIRCAS’s efforts in the conservation and utilization of genetic resources.

In the general discussion session, participants actively exchanged opinions on the importance of awareness-raising activities to promote the health benefits of black rice domestically, the development of processing and fermentation technologies, and the need for support in registering new varieties.

After the closing of the workshop, three JIRCAS researchers received letters of appreciation from NAFRI for their contributions to the joint research efforts.

The content of the workshop was reported on the social media channels of NAFRI and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, and was also featured in the local English-language newspaper, Vientiane Times (June 18, 2025 edition).