DA-PhilRice celebrates its 36th year of serving the Filipino rice farmers across the nation on Nov. 3-5. “Through the years, DA-PhilRice continuously strives to make rice production not only more efficient, but also dependable and sustainable in meeting the growing demands of millions of Filipino rice consumers,” Dr. John C. de Leon, executive director, said. He added that through the Institute’s research for development (R4D) efforts, it continues to implement […]

Her Excellency Dr. Titanilla Toth, Hungary Ambassador to the Philippines, and her fellow delegates visited DA-PhilRice today to prepare for the future partnership between the two countries. The agreement, which is set to be sealed between the DA-PhilRice and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) in November, aims to broaden knowledge on agricultural development through the conduct of joint research initiatives particularly in breeding and educational programs. […]

This year’s observance of National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) in November iterates the importance of eating healthy and nutritious rice. “The kind of rice we consume is crucial to our health. This is especially true to us because rice is the staple food of Filipinos,” Dr. Marissa V. Romero, food scientist and co-lead of the Healthier Rice Project of DA-PhilRice, said. Attuned to the NRAM theme “Be RICEponsibly healthy”, the […]

Stakeholders favor “Golden Rice” over ordinary white rice in terms of its health benefits during the former’s ceremonial tasting, held recently in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. “It smells and tastes the same as ordinary rice, except it is colored yellow. But I will choose ‘Golden Rice’ over white rice, because it has more health benefits. Kung sana noong bata pa ako ay meron na nito, sana mas malusog pa ako,” said Agriculture […]

The local government of Buenavista, Quezon will showcase to their rice growers the potential of hybrid rice seed production in their locality in a field day to be conducted today, Oct. 15. Alvin Ray U. Rivera, town’s vice mayor, announced that it is possible that farmers could grow their own seeds of Mestiso 20 or M20, a variety developed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and International […]

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar led the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Crop Biotechnology Center (CBC) of the Department of Agriculture that will develop various plant products to help ensure food security and enhance the competitiveness of Philippine agriculture, Sept. 30. The facility — located in the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) complex, in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija — will also help attain the “Sustainable Development Goal No. […]

Leopoldo Lopango, a rice farmer in Milagros, Masbate, woke up earlier than usual at 3 am; awakened by the rains pouring hard on their tin roof. He was grateful for the rains and for the graduation ceremonies of the RCEF – Farmer Field School (FFS) held on Sept. 4. “The leaves of my palay, already in the maximum tillering stage, are turning yellowish green and in need of fertilizer. But […]

With the increasing reports of brown planthopper (BPH) cases, an expert from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) urges farmers to check first the insect population before implementing control measures. BPH is a small brown insect found mainly on the base of rice plants above the water level. Adults and nymphs suck the plant sap from leaf sheaths, causing yellowing of lower and then upper leaves. Whole areas […]

Farmers in remote areas in Isabela and Abra are now producing their own high-quality seeds based on their learning from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program. “We used to struggle in acquiring seeds, and we cannot attain our [desired] yield from exchange seeds. Through this learning activity, we are not only farmers but also seed growers of high-quality seeds that can be easily accessed in our locality,” farmer Saldy […]

The public sector is ensuring enough supply of rice seeds amidst pandemic through a series of training conducted in hybrid rice-producing regions. Dr. Fidel M. Ramos, senior science research specialist of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Isabela, said the activities complement the DA’s Hybrid Rice Program. Currently, four batches with 150 seed growers are trained in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, and Kalinga from June to October […]