Farmer-graduates of the LPJ3D’s Integrated Farm School are possibly one of the happiest farmers in Quirino. It’s easy to see why. Jane Laguna, one of the Farmer Field School’s graduates, increased her yield by 50 sacks after using the certified inbred seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program and following the PalayCheck taught in the LPJ3D’s Integrated Farm School. Owned by  Diosdado “Sir Dado” Estocapio Jr., the […]

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Rice Extension Services Program has actively involved the younger generation in agriculture, including Joseph Mantatao from Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. “I have enjoyed helping my parents on the farm since I was 16 years old. I’m now managing our 0.6-ha rice field after my mother’s demise. I’m grateful that RCEF is helping me become a better farmer,” the 23-year-old rice grower said. In the […]

A mobile application was developed to provide timely, reliable, and collaborative information on palay farmgate prices. The Bantay Palay app works by collecting current palay price data from verified providers, analyzing, and processing them into a text message advisory that is sent to rice farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. App developer Arturo Arocena of PhilRice said verified providers of price data include palay buyer […]

Farmers are more inclined to adopt new practices when they are introduced by fellow rice growers.  Higenio Cuento, a graduate of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Rice Extension Services Program training in 2019, observes this as he trains fellow tillers in the Masaganang Bukid Farm in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Cuento observed that farmer-participants were eager to learn about the technologies promoted by RCEF in Farmer Field School (FFS); however, not all […]

In Ligao City, Albay, Vera Shane Dy Placides is living her childhood dream of serving Filipino farmers as a local agriculture technician in the city agriculture office.  Her commitment to her dream led her to engage in training programs, including the training of trainers on the production of inbred rice, seed certification, and farm mechanization, as well as the Rice Specialist Training Course under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund  Rice […]

“Ready or not, tell yourself to jump.” When her husband passed away more than 10 years ago, Kathryn Barroga, was only left with one choice – oversee their 5-ha farm while taking care of her two children, then aged 19 and 12 years old.  Kathryn, a physical therapist by profession, spent her childhood on a rice farm. Despite being exposed to farm life, her parents prioritized her education and discouraged […]

PalaySikatan, a technology demonstration under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement (RCEF) Fund Seed Program, has helped farmers improve their farm practices by introducing new rice varieties. Dexter Bacaniwas had been satisfied with NSIC Rc 480, his constant for more than two years. “I was not interested in shifting to the new varieties I heard from my fellow farmers because Rc 480 is drought-resistant, high-quality, and consistently performs well,” he said.  A […]

For Alex Equias, a training graduate under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program, farming is a family affair. His view is shared globally as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared 2019-2028 as the UN Decade of Farming. The UN published that more than 80% of the food in the world is produced by family farmers. “I want farming to be something my family continues to […]

Do you know that a rich source of information on Philippine soils is easily available and accessible online? This is the Philippine Soil Information System. A quick dig-up on the internet leads you to this online data treasury. What is this online data treasury? The PhilRice Soil Information System (PSIS) is a web portal in the DA-PhilRice Database and Management Portal (DBMP) that contains extensive data and information on the […]

While his fellow farmers switch to high-value crops due to rice’s low yield and market price, Abner Javier continues to plant the country’s staple food believing that rice can reach its potential yield with the right technologies. He is passionate of this belief that for eight years, the 50-year-old farmer-leader from Calauan, Laguna teaches modern rice farming in his Javier Integrated Farm (JIF) school without charge. With the pandemic and […]