Written by the Web Team   Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr, PhilRice executive director, pushed for green and smart farming to transform the current food system during the 25th National Rice Research and Development Conference held in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Sept. 4-6. Green initiatives aim to reduce external input, particularly energy, while smart initiatives are knowledge-intensive and labor-reducing technologies. In his opening address, Rasco said the present […]

Written by the Web Team   The Department of Agriculture and its partner agencies are getting ready for next year’s stretch of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) through rice R&D review and planning workshop held at Philippine Carabao Center in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Sept 4-6. Supporting FSSP, the government’s banner program to attain sufficiency in rice and other major crops, 16 regional executive directors had presented […]

Written by the Web Team   Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – Hundreds of researchers, scientists, members of the academe, students, and farmers gathered at the Central Experiment Station of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for the 25th National Rice R&D Conference, Sept. 4-6. With the theme, Green and smart rice farming for food sufficiency, the conference brought together some of the brightest minds in the Philippine rice […]

Written by the Web Team   Newly commercialized hybrid rice varieties bred by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and University of the Philippines-Los Baños, withstood tungro infestations in some parts of the country where they were tested for adaptability. Mestiso 19 (NSIC Rc202H) and Mestiso 20 (NSIC Rc204H) produced high number of tillers and exhibited resistance to tungro in a series of adaptability trials conducted in Cagayan, Leyte, Aurora, and […]

More than 2000 farmers and farmers’ associations, government entities, and the agricultural machinery private sector gathered at the 2011  Agri-Mach Roadshow, dubbed Makina-Saka on July 4-7 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. The activity aimed to showcase agricultural machinery and drum up support for the mechanization program of the Department of Agriculture, in support of the country’s bid for food self-sufficiency. The Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) was launched […]

Written by the Web Team   Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – An official of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) toured around this city, Aug. 14-17, to learn how their country could start producing rice and reduce agricultural imports. “Micronesia, particularly in Pohnpei, has so many natural resources. We need to maximize these resources for consumption, and to start reducing importation such as rice from other countries,” Shelten […]

Written by the Web Team   Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recently signed an agreement with ENERTIME, a France-based company, to assess the feasibility of using rice straw for power generation, which could help farmers reduce production cost. “The cost of petroleum is increasing. So it’s important to develop a new energy system that will serve as an alternative to the non-renewable, highly centralized, and not diversified system. The exact […]

Written by the Web Team   An airtight, reusable plastic bag that protects stored rice from moisture, pests, and rats, and keeps rice seeds viable, is now available to Filipino farmers in selected retails stores. IRRI Super Bags reduce losses incurred after harvest that usually stem from poor storage conditions – helping prevent physical postharvest losses that can be around 15%. On top of these losses, farmers also experience loss […]

Written by the Web Team   The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) supports the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in encouraging Filipinos to eat more vegetables through week-long activities conducted in Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, July 23 to 27. “There is a need for a more balanced diet. [There must be] moderation in everything,” said Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr, PhilRice executive director, as he opened the Nutrition Month Seminar […]

Written by the Web Team   The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) had awarded Dr. Dindo Agustin A. Tabanao, a plant breeder at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), as 2012 Outstanding Young Scientist in the field of Applied Plant Sciences during its 34th Annual Scientific Conference, July 12. Tabanao, program leader of PhilRice’s Developing Technologies to Surpass the Dry Season Irrigated Lowland Rice Yield Plateau, was cited for […]