Newly appointed agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has pledged to focus on reducing rice importation during his tenure — a commitment made during the Ugnay Palay: 35th National Rice R4D Conference at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Nov. 29. “Our ultimate goal is to swiftly reduce rice imports for food security and efficiency. We also aim to inspire a new generation […]

Several legislators expressed their support for the BeRICEponsible campaign of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) as they visited the recent exhibit titled, “Palay. Bigas. Kanin. Alamin” at the Senate building in Pasay City. The lawmakers affirmed their commitment to the campaign by endorsing the ABKD practices: (A) Adlay, mais, saba, atbp. ay ihalo sa kanin; (B) Brown Rice ay kainin; (K) Kanin ay huwag sayangin; at (D) Dapat bigas […]

Rice farmers in Aurora and Bohol have increased their average yields by 1t/ha or more through the high-quality seeds they received through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program.  Aurora’s provincial agriculturist Arnold Novicio reported that their yield rose from 3.5t/ha 10 years ago to 4.5-5t/ha today.  Lorebien Lagapa, provincial rice seed program coordinator of Bohol, said their yield also improved from 2.73t/ha in 2022 to 3.6t/ha in 2023. […]

Sen. President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda urged Filipinos “not to waste rice” during “Palay. Bigas. Kanin. Alamin” exhibit held for the National Rice Awareness Month celebration. She also emphasized the importance of achieving rice self-sufficiency and reducing wastage in line with biodiversity and climate concerns. Read: https://www.lorenlegarda.com.ph/dont-waste-rice-legarda-reminds-public-2/?fbclid=IwAR3jFmMynaVa9mDKXxM_5d7O2jo2Yz8v7StCusHuUDwIEALjOJrnYeYVUjc

As the country celebrates National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM), the call for half-cup rice servings has garnered support from the country’s legislative body to sponsor a bill that was first filed in the Senate in 2013. “As of today, two congressmen have already expressed their willingness to volunteer as sponsors for the bill we are trying to revive,” said Dr. Hazel V. Antonio, lead of the NRAM celebration.  Based on […]

To help prevent the imminent food shortage due to the aging of farmers, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and two clubs of Kiwanis International are intensifying efforts to revitalize agriculture through youth education. Citing an information from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, Glenda Hufano, governor of Kiwanis International-Philippine Luzon District, said that with the typical age of Filipino farmers falling between 55 […]

Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country’s lead agency on rice research and development, advances “Better Rice Communities” as the cornerstone of its 38th anniversary celebrations on Nov. 6-8. Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban said that the theme is “very timely and relevant” in light of President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ directive to enhance local production of priority commodities including rice. “This year’s celebration theme, ‘Better Rice Communities,’ is very timely […]

Farmers in San Agustin, Zambales expressed interest in adopting a walk-behind mechanical transplanter shown in a recent techno demo conducted by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program. The farm machine not only reduces labor expenses, typically requiring a team of 2-3 laborers, but it also enables farmers to plant one hectare per day. Data show that this shift reduced the expenses of hiring 13 laborers at P400 each […]

Representatives from Korean and Philippine national agencies and corporations recently commenced construction on a new rice seed processing facility and warehouse with cold storage, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties.  Established in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, the facility, according to Dr. Byung Ki Lee, Global Agricultural Policy Institute (GAPI) project manager, is expected to help increase the utilization rate of high-quality certified rice seeds, improve self-sufficiency […]

With more implementers trained on agroenterprise development, more farming communities will soon benefit from the clustering approach in the Rice Business Innovation System (RiceBIS) Program. In a recent three-day training course on agroenterprise, 40 implementers worked on expanding the value chain-oriented agroenterprise in its 23 communities nationwide. They also learned about processing, product generation, marketing, policy, monitoring, and evaluation from trainor Ronnel dela Cruz.