Farmers from seven local government units in Region VI found that Minus-one Element Technique (MOET), a nutrient diagnostic tool developed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), is easy to use during a recent Farmers’ Field Day. MOET, which is used in determining the nutrient levels of rice soils, received good feedback from 130 rice growers that it is easy to apply and that they can sustain […]

Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) beneficiaries in Caraga have increased their rice harvest by half-ton per hectare from 2019 to 2021 dry season (DS). Frenciso L. Varquez, RCEF-Branch Project Development Officer, reported that RCEF beneficiaries achieved a regional yield increase from 3.74t/ha to 4.21t/ha in the DS.  Meanwhile, almost a quarter increase was recorded from 3.64t/ha to 3.87t/ha in the wet season.  The harvest were gained from the 5,862 bags […]

When they lost their jobs because of the pandemic, licensed massage therapist Aila Grospe and her business consultant-husband Pierangelo Alejo were faced with the challenge to look for new sources of income. Remembering her family’s 1.3-ha farm, which they did not till for 15 years since her father passed away, Aila convinced her husband to try their hands in farming. With their two children, they decided to leave Alabang, Muntinlupa […]

DA-PhilRice Isabela, in collaboration with the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has fulfilled the second component of the project on selection and dissemination of elite salt-tolerant rice varieties to AFACI member-countries.  On June 3, a technical briefing and seed distribution of salt-tolerant rice varieties was conducted in Buguey and Sta. Teresita in Cagayan. A total of 125 bags certified seeds of […]

Calbayog City, Samar – Farmers here expressed optimism that the rising cost of farm inputs, particularly fertilizer, will be cushioned by the recommendations promoted in the “Abonong Swak (Swak sa budget. Swak sa Palay)” campaign. Efren Velasco, farmer in Brgy. Malahog, said that balanced fertilization, which he learned from the campaign launched here on June 2, is promising as studies show that it can reduce fertilizer cost by P2,000-P4,000. Velasco […]