PhilRice Isabela has conducted a refresher training course for graduates of the Training of Trainers program under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF RESP),  Nov. 15- 23.  Thirty trainers, consisting of facilitators from farm schools and State Colleges and Universities, finished the course at the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center II (ATI-RTC II) in San Mateo, Isabela.  Dr. Andres dela Cruz Jr., RCEF coordinator, underscored the […]

Public agencies in Region II and Cordillera showed unity in assisting farmers become agripreneurs during the regions’ launching of RiceBIS 2.0 in Dupax Del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Nov. 16. The event, held concurrently with the mass graduation of four batches of Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP), strengthened the ties among key stakeholders including the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), […]

To address soaring prices of fertilizers and optimize its application, RCEF Seed Program has introduced sets of fertilizer recommendations to its partner local government units in Western and Central Visayas. These recommendations were derived from a thorough soil analysis conducted by PhilRice using the Minus-One-Element Technique (MOET) kit and app.  The app facilitates farmers in obtaining answers to queries regarding the appropriate fertilizer type and optimal application timing. Implementing MOET-based […]

PhilRice Negros recently awarded local government units with excellent performance during the 2023 wet season implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed and Extension programs.  Selection was based on their actual distribution percentage compared to their delivery rate. This assessment considered syncing the physical inventory with the RCEF-Seed Monitoring System and LGU participation during deliberations. LGUs that fully cooperated with the syncing process were commended for their crucial […]

Dr. Kyu Seong Lee, director of the Korea Program for International Cooperation in Agricultural Technology (KOPIA) Philippine Center and vice administrator of Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Korea, has encouraged local government units and the academe in Bicol to increase productivity in saline-prone agricultural areas. In the seminar titled, “Salinity Tolerance in rice: Exploring mechanisms and advancing productivity through effective management strategies,” Lee shared the practices implemented by South Korea […]

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson of Negros Occidental extended financial grant to the RiceBIS Negros Agrarian Reform Cooperative (RiceBISNARCO) for its entrepreneurial engagements. Through the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program that aims to connect farmers to institutional buyers, RiceBISNARCO received PhP250,000 in which 80% of the amount will be used as capital for palay buying. Moreover, 20% of the grant will be allocated in management skills training, seminars, and workshops on bookkeeping and […]

To fortify rice-farming communities against the challenges of a changing climate, PhilRice Los Baños distributed over 260 seed packs of climate-smart varieties to Quezon farmers this wet season. Each pack had 5kg of seeds of rainfed varieties such as NSIC Rc 416 and 426 or saline rices Rc 330 and 338. Reports showed that majority of the farmers favored adopting climate-smart varieties, demonstrating eagerness not only to continue planting the […]

To build up the accessibility and availability of public hybrid rice seeds in the Ilocos Region, PhilRice Batac through its Business Development Unit has embarked on F1 rice seed production. According to Joel G. James, land management officer, 0.5t or 472kg of F1 Mestizo 1 (PSB Rc 72H) seeds were produced in a 0.4-ha plot at the station using the AxR 3-line system. The production can plant at least 23ha […]

Farmer-cooperators in Buenavista, Quezon are now producing hybrid rice seeds resulting in an increased supply in Luzon. Acknowledged as first seed suppliers of Mestiso 20 (M20) in Luzon, members of the Hagonghong-Bucal Association Alex Simbajon and Buenavista Vice Mayor Rey Rivera are distributing seeds in the area. M20 seeds are usually bought from Mindanao. With a hectare seed production area in Buenavista, Quezon, Simbajon and Rivera ensures that their practices […]

More than 6,000 farmers in CAR and Cagayan Valley have received certified seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program (RCEF) Seed Program for this wet season. Through Binhi e-Padala, farmers are pre-registered two months before seed distribution starts in September. Eligible farmers will only show their RCEF ID and claim their allotted seeds based on a set schedule. “For two minutes, we are already pre-registered! Choosing the variety to […]