The Department of Agriculture’s information system based on satellite data and ground observations is helping the Philippines monitor rice production and prepare for and mitigate the effects of disasters such as typhoons and El Niño to rice areas. The Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM) project highlighted the key features and importance of this innovation during its first annual executive meeting at the Bay View Park Hotel in Manila, March 31. […]

What could be more challenging than farming at the top of a mountain? Some farms in Claveria, Misamis Oriental do just that. Farmers here tend plants in steep slopes with erosion-prone and acidic soils while rainfall serves as main source of water. But these obstacles do not bother them. Their ally? The trees – which are beneficial to rice and other crops.   Myth about trees Some farmers think that […]

Hardly predictable and extreme weather changes can often spell disaster for the uninformed and unprepared. This holds particularly true for Filipino farmers and agriculture-based enterprises where losses due to long periods of drought, violent typhoons, or major shifts in weather condition can be devastating to an entity’s supply chain, livelihoods, and the country’s food security.   Molding climate change-conscious agriculture entrepreneurs Taking notice of the impact of climate change (CC) […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhiRice) recommends the use of drought-tolerant varieties and technologies to help farmers cope with the ongoing El Niño phenomenon. “Rice normally grows at temperatures between 20-35°C. Reports have indicated that temperatures above 35°C is critical for rice growth especially during the reproductive stage. At present, temperature may reach up to 38 to 40°C,” said Dr. Norvie Manigbas, PhilRice plant breeder. According to studies, rice yield […]

Deaths, vanishing islands, floods, droughts, and all the horrors that could possibly happen in our world have already been reported or at least been associated to climate change (CC). In agriculture, its impacts can be massive from heating among animals to remarkable yield loss in highly significant crops like rice. All these maladies are happening at a time when the world population, according to the UN, approaches 9.6B in 2050—more […]

In the light of the El Niño phenomenon, farmers learned climate change-ready technologies in rice production during the recently concluded Lakbay-Palay at the PhilRice’s Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija, March 31 and April 1. Through field tours and open forum, rice experts taught farmers how to cope with climate change by using climate-smart technologies such as the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technology, ecological engineering, and rice-based agribiosystems. AWD, […]

Hindi lamang natatapos sa palay o bigas ang maaaring mapagkakitaan ng ating mga magsasaka. Ito ay maaaring gawing harina upang makagawa ng tinapay, kakanin, o di kaya’y brown rice, mas mataas na sa kita, mas healthy pa! Maaari ring lagyan ng gulay, paghahayupan, at iba pang mapagkakakitaan ang bukid. Basahin ang iba’t-ibang kwento ng ating mga magsasaka na nagpapatakbo ng mga small and medium enterprises ng mga produktong mula sa sakahan.

In a world of doubts and uncertainties, anticipating risks can lead to readiness – a ticket to survival. The current situation of the agriculture sector on climate change mitigation and adaptation necessitates preparedness. Knowing what is to come in the production-and-consumption equation helps ensure enough food for the people despite resurgent challenges in the given growing environment. Efforts are in place to capacitate institutions to aptly inform policymakers on climate […]