Farmers often get excited come harvest time. Unfortunately, some overlook that postproduction practices are as important as growing rice. A 2010 study by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization shows that 16.47% of rice is lost on postproduction. When saved, experts said, the losses could have covered the amount of rice imported annually. Dealing with rice the right way 1. Harvest at the right time As rice varieties […]

April is special for the Philippine rice industry because it was proclaimed as the Panagyaman Festival Month, the national celebration of bountiful harvest. Such festive events could be very enticing to attend because of extravagance, colorful food, and the opportunity for income-generating activities. Amidst merriments, the Philippine festivals are more than what meets the eye. Here are some symbols and their meanings embedded in selected Philippine agricultural festivals such as […]

Summer is one of the best times that we can fuel our children’s dreams. A PhilRice visit may give them a kick-start in knowing more about their passion and what they want to achieve.

A global trend is threatening food security.  Many of the young people are evidently leaving rural areas to pursue non-agricultural careers in urban districts. In the Philippines, a team from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) finds a way to help engage the Filipino youth in agriculture. Dubbed as “Infomediary Campaign,” the campaign worked with the Department of Education (DepEd) to encourage the youth to explore the farming sector and to […]

Makahiya (Mimosa pudica) and Lantana (Lantana camara), medicinal plants known to treat common diseases in humans, were also found to be beneficial to rice plants, recent study showed. In a research, Nueva Ecija High School student Lena Nagaosa with her adviser Jerandel Gaspar and PhilRice researchers Ma. Salome Duca and Dindo King Donayre, gathered that said perennial weed and flowering plant can fight bacterial leaf blight (BLB) in rice. BLB […]

Harvest is fast approaching. At last, Mang Juan will be reaping the reward of more than three months of caring for his rice plants. He’s not only excited for harvest, but also for the rice straw, locally known as dayami, that he will get. This will give him more income as fertilizer and as growing medium for his mushrooms. Evelyn F. Javier, supervising science research specialist of Agronomy, Soil, and […]

Golden apple snails or kuhol as farmer’s friend? It’s a resounding “yes” when managing rice bugs! Kuhol (Pomacea canaliculata Lamarck) is considered as one of the notorious pests in the Philippine ricefields. It consumes young seedlings, even devouring a whole paddy overnight. In every square meter, a small kuhol measuring 2-3cm can reduce the number of tillers by up to 19% at 30 days after crop establishment. The loss may […]

We always get excited for new stuff; however, if it’s a new pest, we worry as it can reduce  37% of rice yield and sometimes, more. This is why PhilRice researchers are studying the characteristics and management of the rice grain bug (RGB), an emerging pest of rice. Getting to know RGB RGB (Paraeucosmetus pallicornis Dallas), also known as seed bug, was originally a legume pest. It was first observed […]

Some experts maintain that targeting a national average rice yield level of 6t/ha is too much for achieving self-sufficiency and that 4.5t/ha would be enough. This might be true if the country is only interested in achieving self-sufficiency per se, disregarding competition from imported rice. But in the context of ASEAN economic integration, we must produce rice at a competitive price so that we will be able to profitably sell […]