A rice variety developed by Filipino breeders has earned international recognition after winning silver at the World’s Best Rice 2025 Awards held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, affirming the country’s growing reputation in producing premium-quality rice. NSIC Rc 218 SR (Mabango 3), bred by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), was cited among the world’s finest for its soft texture, aromatic quality, and exceptional grain characteristics during the Global […]

After being hit by six consecutive typhoons in 2024, discolored palay grains are prominently laid out and dried under the sun in Canaman, Camarines Sur. “When a typhoon hits, we barely have any income because our rice yield rots. Like now, a lot of it is rotten. More than a hectare was ruined,” Frankie E. Bolocon lamented. According to the farmers, no rice traders would buy these rice grains anymore, […]

(Part 2 of 4) Delivering rice science to farmers In a slaughterhouse-turned-warehouse in Abucay, Bataan, a steady stream of farmers continues to arrive. Some look for a comfortable position, others swarm in a line with urgency, and some are patient enough to wait for their cue. Farmer Jose A. Dela Rosa, 62, arrived before 8:30 a.m. “It was announced in the Abucay farmers’ group chat that free rice seeds would […]

A four-part series The rice we Filipinos eat isn’t all the same. Some are soft and sticky; their grains are either short or long and slender; and even their aromas differ. This is because their characteristics vary due to the traits combined through the process called rice breeding. A tale unknown to many, one of the farmers’ hurdles is how to critically choose which rice variety to cultivate. Beyond its […]

Matapos maging overseas Filipino worker ng 18 taon, umuwi si ka-Palay Jenipher Onera sa kanilang probinsya sa Batac, Ilocos Norte nang magkasakit ang kanyang ina. Nag-invest sya sa rice and grains trading business ngunit dahil sa pandemya, napilitan itong magsara. Sa kanyang pagsali sa pagsasanay na pinondohan ng Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, natutunan niya ang pagtatanim ng certified inbred seeds, paggamit ng makinaryang pambukid, at tamang pamamahala ng sustansya. Kanyang […]

While other Bukidnon farmers had hesitated to plant because of the El Niño phenomenon advisory early this year, Leonilo Arcadio, 49, President of Cabanglasan Farmers Small Water Impounding System Association, Inc. (CAFSWISA) and his fellow members adjusted their planting calendar to assure that they would still have enough water supply should drought hex the province. It may seem a gamble at first glance, but the SWISA acknowledges the harsh reality […]

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program has produced 575 new rice specialists through the Rice Specialists Training Course (RSTC) from 2019-2023 to help the rice farmers compete in the international rice market. Lea dR. Abaoag, training component lead of the RCEF Rice Extension Services Program at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), said the RSTC program is a comprehensive course designed to develop trainer-leaders. From the original RSTC curriculum, new […]

Before, there was boredom. Now, pure excitement fills Daniel V. Pineda as he embarks on a journey of continuous learning and growth after participating in the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) training. A “lost son” in agriculture, Daniel, who is from Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, only pursued agriculture to fulfill his mother’s dream. His mother was employed in the municipal agriculture office in Gabaldon while his father was a farmer. Upon […]

Nightmares of drought are still vivid in the mind of Nestor Mendoza. At midnight, they are wide awake, watching their fellow farmers from the downstream of the M’lang and Malasila Rivers Irrigation System (MMRIS) march up to avail of their right to farm water, even in darkness. “When rain is elusive, water supply is not enough for those who are at the tail end of the irrigation,” this member from […]

Rice farmers were impressed by the ride-on precision seeder that is showcased in a field day and forum held in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Oct. 13. The said field day introduced the precision seeder to Zambales farmers through a demo wherein the machine seeded about 2ha of rice field with NSIC Rc 222. The precision rice seeder is a self-propelled planting equipment that accurately drops seeds at a precise depth and […]