As wet season planting starts in some rice-growing areas, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is encouraging farmers to adopt cost-saving practices as rising global input prices continue to put pressure on farm production costs. PhilRice agriculturist Fredierick M. Saludez said farmers may save thousands of pesos per hectare by using certified seeds, properly leveling fields, and adopting efficient planting methods. According to Saludez, one of the easiest ways to […]

Rice farmers in Western Visayas will receive a bigger allocation of certified inbred seeds this wet season under updated Phase 2 guidelines of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Engr. Rojen F. Austria, RCEF coordinator of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Negros Occidental, said that the allocation was increased from two 20-kg bags per hectare to three bags or a total of 60 kg, following requests from farmers and […]

Innovations in hybrid rice seed production, climate resilience, and nutrition-focused rice initiatives earned a branch station of the country’s lead rice research and development agency recognition from the Civil Service Commission (CSC).  The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Isabela was named a regional qualifier for the 2026 Gawad Pagasa under the CSC’s Gawad Lingkod Bayani with the recognition conferred on May 12.  Among the initiatives highlighted in its nominations include […]

Greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields can now be measured more precisely following the establishment of a Japan-backed gas chromatography laboratory at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.  Dr. Kristine S. Pascual, project lead, said the facility is expected to strengthen the country’s capacity to analyze methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide released under different rice crop management practices, including alternate wetting and […]

High-zinc rice grown by farmers in Pila, Laguna will soon be used in children’s feeding program, signaling the start of a wider initiative linking rice farming to nutrition efforts in seven provinces. The project partnership, “Stronger Together: United for Children’s Nutrition, Mental Health, and Education,” marked its first high-zinc rice harvest in Laguna, May 5, through the harvesting of NSIC Rc 648, attended by nearly 200 farmers, local officials, and […]

ROSARIO, La Union — Students here recently gained hands-on experience in rice farming while helping create La Union’s first rice paddy art in Barangay Tabtabungao, which serves as a learning site and agricultural display. Twenty-seven senior high school trainees from Bersamin Agro-Industrial High School planted rice on a 1,380-sqm plot using NSIC Rc 506, an inbred variety known for its high yield of up to 10 t/ha, and IR 1552, […]

Farmers are being encouraged to consider early-maturing and drought-tolerant rice varieties as part of their preparations for a possible El Niño expected to bring drier conditions in the coming months. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said these varieties can help farmers better manage water limitations and reduce risks to their crops during prolonged dry spells. Citing forecasts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the agency said […]

In April, during the country’s observance of National Intellectual Property (IP) Month, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) highlighted technologies designed to help farmers cope with rising fertilizer costs and climate risks. Data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) show that the Institute has generated more than 400 IP assets including 53 patents, 53 utility models, 12 industrial designs, 11 trademarks, and 284 copyrights, designed to address challenges […]

Farmers and local government representatives from the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were recently introduced to a low-cost bamboo-bin dryer developed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Ilocos Norte as changing weather patterns continue to threaten postharvest drying. More than 260 farmers and local government unit representatives from the CAR provinces and Region II including Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino attended the recent PhilRice Isabela […]

Local governments in Science City of Muñoz and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija are tapping households to improve rice preparation and consumption in an effort to address nutrition concerns and reduce food waste. A 2025 report from the Department of Health showed that more than 1,500 children under five in said cities are stunted while more than 140,000 individuals in Central Luzon are living with diabetes. Meanwhile, more than 500,000 […]