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 […]

PhilRice in North Cotabato is seeking solon support to enhance access to high-quality seeds and improve production within its coverage area. Ommal Abdulkadil, Midsayap assistant branch director, proposed a multi-purpose building for funding to Rep. Joselito Sacdalan of Cotabato 1st Congressional District. The facility will serve as a farmers’ venue and technology demonstration area. “With the resumption of face-to-face interactions, the facility will play a crucial role in supporting the […]

Farmers, who are 32-km away from the PhilRice station in Ligao City, Albay, were introduced to Abonong Swak during its recent Lakbay Palay. “We learned a lot from the discussions here, and these will improve our farm practices. We hope we can come back to PhilRice and learn,” said Perla Asaytuno, a 70-year-old farmer. Abonong Swak promotes strategic nutrient management practices to achieve balanced fertilization, which could help farmers lower […]

Farmers expressed interest in adopting mechanized direct dry seeding shown during the Farmers’ Festival in Batac City, Ilocos Norte. One of the featured technologies was the multi-purpose seeder (MP seeder), a device attached to a hand tractor that direct-seeds rice, corn, and mungbean. According to Engr. Richard Pungtilan, Batac City Building Officer and one of the participants, MP seeder is favored because of its seeding rate of 40-60kg/ha. The usual […]

The Esperanza RiceBIS Producers Cooperative (ESRIPCO) in Agusan del Sur will supply the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program with certified inbred seeds in the wet season of 2025. The cooperative, which started as an association in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, has already submitted its financial statements as a requirement in the Cooperative Development Authority for obtaining a contract from RCEF. Through the Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) Program, […]

PhilRice in Batac City, Ilocos Norte and San Mateo, Isabela were recipients of the Gantimpala Award in May for their teamwork and resourcefulness. PhilRice Batac City assisted Isabela station in the prompt delivery of more than 300 bags of hybrid seeds when its truck broke down in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan, which is about seven hours away from the delivery point in Abra. “We explored all strategies simultaneously: repair, rescue, and […]