Through the adoption of a web-based decision-support tool, farmers in Tarlac have demonstrated the potential of digital agriculture services to transform traditional farming practice.  Sixty-four farmers in the villages of Sembrano and San Bartolome revitalized 101.5ha, significantly improving their yields and reducing costs through the  the Rice Crop Manager Advisory Service (RCMAS), Following RCMAS guidelines, 52-year-old Warlito V. Viernes of Brgy. Sembrano increased his yield from 4 to 5.5t/ha. He […]

Rice farmers in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija will benefit from two newly enacted ordinances designed to help them adapt to drought conditions and incorporate digital tools into their farming practices. The ordinances aim to promote agriculture-based and institutional drought adaptation strategies through suitable extension efforts and optimize the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) by engaging the youth to assist rice farmers. With climate change increasing the frequency of droughts, […]

Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) communities in Tiaong, Quezon, are poised to be the first suppliers of pigmented rice products, including white rice, at the UPLB Techno Hub One-Stop-Shop (UPLB THOSS). In a recent showcase event led by Gregorio Garde, president of the Sintorisan-Behia SWISA Farmers Association, Tiaong RiceBIS communities presented their products to officials from UPLB THOSS, the University of the Philippines Los Baños Business Affairs Office, UPLB Alumni […]

The Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) community in Batac City, Ilocos Norte celebrated a significant boost to their agro-enterprise efforts through Senator Bong Go’s Malasakit sa Kooperatiba Program, in partnership with the Cooperative Development Authority.  Among the beneficiaries, the Rayuray Farmers Agriculture Cooperative received a PhP50,000 grant, empowering them to enhance agricultural productivity and economic sustainability. Cooperative members also participated in an orientation on business continuity management, equipping them with […]

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program will launch RCEF PalaySikatan 2.0, a technology demonstration of cluster inbred rice production this wet season.  The initiative will be implemented in 25 sites across the country that will showcase the benefits of using quality inbred rice seeds, yield-enhancing and cost-reducing packages of technologies, farm mechanization, and digitalization.  Emphasizing a farm clustering approach, each site will feature a 50-hectare rice cluster to […]

Farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program in Laguna are experiencing significant improvements in their rice production skills and yields, thanks to the program’s Farmer Field School (FFS).  RCEF-FFS provides training on aspects of rice farming, including computing rice production expenses, applying the correct fertilizers, managing water efficiently, using machinery, and developing social skills. Venancio Z. Porcincula, a 69-year-old farmer from Pila, Laguna, reported a substantial increase in […]

Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, has lauded the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) for its effective implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed and Rice Extension Services Programs during a recent session of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization. “I’ve been the chair of the committee for eleven years, and I can tell you that […]

To prepare for projected temperature increases, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is urging farmers to test the adaptability of rice varieties that can withstand high temperatures in their locality. Career scientist Norvie L. Manigbas pointed out that data spanning 50 years suggests a temperature increase of 1-2℃ in the future, highlighting the need to utilize NSIC Rc 600 and 602 to the fullest as these varieties can […]

Dinagat Islands — A year after the province’s inclusion in the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, Dinagat Islands has doubled its yield per hectare from 2021 to 2023 wet season. Data from RCEF’s Rice Seed Monitoring System showed that the province’s yield increased from 2.11t/ha to 4.64t/ha. This was recorded in the new RCEF-covered areas in PhilRice Agusan including Basilisa, Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose, and Tubajon, […]

Local government units in Central Luzon are working on policies that will mainstream climate change adaptation in rice-farming communities to safeguard farmers’ livelihood. In a recent policy workshop led by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 8 LGUs proposed policies on implementing integrated pest management strategies, promoting climate-resilient crop varieties, and conserving watersheds. Calls for the provision of farming equipment in San Manuel, Tarlac; […]