“We’re not here because it’s an easy life. We’re here to make lives easy.” This is the essence of serving the Filipino rice farmers, according to Dr. Santiago R. Obien, now 87, first DA-PhilRice director. A crux deeply ingrained that no insurgencies, vandalized fields, travel ordeals, and limited resources can interrupt. Conflict passers-by Reaching the marginalized farmers entails faith without neglecting self-preservation. Datu Ali “Alex” Sumlay of DA-PhilRice Midsayap, development […]
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Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program deploys 17 trainees from Bulacan, Occidental Mindoro, and Oriental Mindoro here for field training following their 8-week online sessions. From Sept. 19 to Oct. 14, trainees’ skills on field problem diagnosis and evaluation and crop management will be enhanced through agro-ecosystem analysis (AESA). They will also undergo hands-on training on rice machinery operations and roguing among other […]
Rice growers in a farm tour conducted by Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) reported that the activity served as an eye opener in improving their field practices. Dubbed Lakbay Palay, the activity showcased technologies from variety selection until mechanization, which some 600 Luzon farmers learned in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on Sept. 14-15. “In a hectare, we use 8-10 sacks of seeds because we thought that […]
TeknoTalakayan. A new sharing and learning activity under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program provided venue for the beneficiaries to convey their experiences to fellow farmers. Recently, Nolasco Ilas, farmer-cooperator and machine operator, reported that using combine harvester made his work easier. With this machine, he only employed four to five farm hands compared with the usual 15-20 to finish a hectare in one day. TeknoTalakayan of the […]
From the maiden implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program in 2020 dry season (DS) to 2022 DS, Isabela station of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), with the help of its partner Local Government Units (LGUs), continues to provide certified inbred seeds to rice farmers. For this 2022 wet season, the station was allocated 152,740 bags of inbred certified seeds for Cagayan […]
Rice production is very vital regardless of major disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, especially because rice is a necessity. That is why despite hurdles, those who are tasked to increase rice production through hybrid rice persevere. Before the pandemic, Dr. Fidel Ramos, senior science research specialist at DA-PhilRice Isabela, related that their three-hectare parental seed production area in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya was already difficult to reach when there is typhoon […]
Zambales rice farmers expressed positive feedback on the use of direct seeding machineries such as plastic drum seeder and ride-on precision seeder shown in a field day and forum held in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Sept. 19. According to farmer Juanito Medida, he likes the plastic drum seeder’s precise depth and spacing. With the use of drum seeder, rice grains are seeded in straight rows allowing mechanical weeding in between rows. […]
