After nearly four decades of grappling with farming challenges in Pinukpuk, Kalinga, Melecio Pecasio Jr. embarked on a learning journey. Recognizing the limitations of traditional farming methods that were affecting his yield and income, Melecio enrolled in the Farmer Field School (FFS) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF RESP). In 2021, Melecio completed 14 sessions of lectures and hands-on training at Clemencia’s Rice-based Integrated Farm […]

PhilRice in Batac City, Ilocos Norte and San Mateo, Isabela were recipients of the Gantimpala Award in May for their teamwork and resourcefulness. PhilRice Batac City assisted Isabela station in the prompt delivery of more than 300 bags of hybrid seeds when its truck broke down in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan, which is about seven hours away from the delivery point in Abra. “We explored all strategies simultaneously: repair, rescue, and […]

Extensionists and farmers in a village in Hungduan, Ifugao expressed their gratitude to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program for helping their community attain enough rice supply. According to municipal agriculturist Jonathan Wakoy, planting inbred rice with seeds provided by the RCEF Seed Program, helped the farm households of Brgy. Maggok sustain rice supply until the next harvest. “Farmers here used to only plant traditional or heirloom rice […]

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) – Seed Program in San Mateo, Isabela has observed a gradual transition in crop establishment with the machines introduced in RCEF demo farms. Called PalaySikatan, RCEF farms promote the use of direct-seeded technologies such as precision seeder, drum seeder, and seed spreader, which advance the practice of the 40kg/ha seeding rate, in 39ha in Kalinga, Ifugao, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya this dry season. According […]

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 […]

Isabela farmers will soon produce Mestiso 73 and Mestiso 99, following the showcasing of Mestizo 1 and Mestiso 20 during the Provincial Rice Technology Forum (PRTF) Field Day in Sotero Nuesa, Roxas, Isabela on Sep. 21. “There will be more hybrid rice varieties to choose from. Aside from M1 and M20 featured here in PRTF, Mestiso 73 and 99 will soon be produced here in our province,” OIC-Director Joy Bartolome […]

Jerry Respicio, a 53-year-old rice farmer from Aglipay, Quirino, saved P5,500 in labor cost and increased his harvest by 30cav (50kg each) when he used precision seeder in planting. “Before, I spent at least P10,000 for manual transplanting. This was reduced to P4,500 when I practiced direct seeding through the precision seeder introduced to us. My plants also grew healthy and uniformly,” Respicio said. He added that his harvest increased […]