Farmer Orlando B. Cruz, 58, from Guiguinto, Bulacan, harvested 9.6t/ha and earned PhP84,800 by planting NSIC Rc 436 he received from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) – Seed Program of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). His farm also served as one of the PalaySikatan technology demonstration sites of the municipality. As the program continuously educates rice farmers on modern technologies, Mang Orlando seized this […]

DA-PhilRice in Ligao City, Albay boosted its support to rice farmers by providing extension services to agricultural information intermediaries. Chosen as a One-Stop Information Shop (OSIS), Catanduanes State University (CatSU) received knowledge products and newly released inbred seeds on July 26-27. An OSIS Satellite was also established in its Panganiban campus. “With the OSIS setup in campus libraries, farmers’ associations, and government offices across the regions, services are extended to […]

With the importance of high-quality seed and its accessibility in achieving rice sufficiency, Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched an information system that will hasten rice seed-related transactions and processes. The system, developed by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), include production planning, field data collection, documentation, and geotagging; monitoring, inventory, and distribution of seed reserve; seed source tracing; application and approval of accreditation and […]

The power of printed words. Rodel Guevarra, a farmer-leader from Pagsanjan, Laguna, shared that the leaflet, “Pesteng Insekto at Sakit,” corrected his misconceptions on common pests and diseases. “I used to believe that rice seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) are carriers of the “tungro” disease so I was hesitant to use them.  However, through the leaflet, I am taught that I should be wary of green leafhoppers […]

“One of the main drivers of our push for growth and employment will be in the agricultural sector,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos emphasized during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25. The concurrent agriculture secretary spoke about his plans to address the gap in food supply and increasing prices to help consumers regain their purchasing power. Financial assistance and farm inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, […]

Beyond the classroom. Cheryl Bundalian, a young instructor at Southern Luzon State University (SLSU), can now better educate her students in agriculture with the completion of her training under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. According to Bundalian, she had been teaching her students the Minus-One Element Technique (MOET), a nutrient diagnostic tool, but was only able to try the technology during the training. She also used the ICT-based applications such […]

Major challenges, thematic areas, agenda and program thrusts, implementing/scaling partners, outcomes and impacts were identified through workshop groups composed of around 100 staff members from branch stations, divisions, offices, and units during the July 20-22 StratPlan activity.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute – Batac has established nine new technology demonstration sites in Region 1 this wet season 2022 under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Seed Program. Dubbed PalaySikatan, the technology demonstration project uses research-based rice production technologies and on-farm performance of mechanically established inbred rice varieties. In partnership with the local government units of Tagudin, Salcedo and Quirino in Ilocos Sur and San Gabriel and Balaoan in La […]

Farmers in Northwestern Luzon are assured of high-quality and viable seeds from DA-PhilRice Batac with the construction of a PhP25M seed warehouse. Funded by the DA-RFO 1, the multi-purpose storage facility for rice seeds and other crops will also be utilized as a one-stop shop for clients who are buying high-quality inbred seeds. With an area of 1,152sqm, it consists of two rice seed storage areas, processing area for bagging, […]

Farmers in two Aklan towns are grateful as they can now receive their seeds faster and easier through Binhi e-Padala, a digital voucher system used in distributing free certified inbred rice seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) – Seed Program. Through the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Negros, Binhi e-Padala was recently launched in the towns of Ibajay and Makato. NSIC Rc 216 […]