A new rice seed processing facility was established at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in the Science City of Muñoz to help farmers and seed growers in neighboring provinces have an access to high-quality seeds.
These seeds have high seedling vigor, meaning, they have a good survival rate and root anchorage, which leads to a higher yield advantage.
The facility worth more than $2 M is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and will house advanced equipment that can process up to 2 tons of seeds per day.
“The project’s objective is to increase the use of high-quality seeds of our farmers in Region III and Pangasinan and also to increase the efficiency of processing and certification of rice seeds by reducing the time of processing and seed testing,” PhilRice Executive Director Dr. Calixto M. Protacio said during the groundbreaking ceremony, 26 January.
According to studies, the adoption of high-quality seeds can contribute to 5-10% increase in yield.
“With this facility, we will be able to modernize the production and improve the quality of rice seeds and eventually help Filipino farmers increase rice productivity,” said Kim Jae Shin, Korea Ambassador to the Philippines.
The facility is expected to be completed in 2017.
See more photos below.
