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 […]

Zambales rice farmers gave positive feedback on the use of direct seeding machines such as plastic drum seeder and ride-on precision seeder shown in a field day and forum held in Sta. Cruz, Zambales on Sep. 19 and Oct. 13. 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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

Practices and technologies that can help farmers save around P23,000 in rice production will be showcased in the Lakbay Palay hosted by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Sept. 14-15. With the theme, “Bukid Tipid Tips, Subukan!” the two-day event will highlight the use of certified seeds of recommended varieties, mechanized farming, and rice-based technologies such as Palayamanan – an integrated farming system, vertical tower garden, and drip-irrigated […]

Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) of the Department of Agriculture – the country’s lead agency of rice research and development, was introduced in an international market during a recent three-day online sale spearheaded by the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on E-commerce. Chona Narvadez, PhilRice sales and promotions supervisor, said that the “ASEAN online sale has strengthened the institute’s reputation as a legitimate e-commerce merchant in the Philippines.” In the region-wide activity, […]