Bountiful harvest starts with the right seeds. This is why farmers like Ricardo Martinez, 59, of Bacolor, Pampanga is sometimes overwhelmed with the choices that he has to take before planting time. For which is just the fitting variety to plant among the more than 300 rice varieties approved by the National Seed Industry Council (then Philippine Seed Board) since 1977? Choose right With almost 30 years of farming experience, […]

Brown rice for sale in Batac market. The Rayuray Farmers’ Cooperative of the RiceBIS Community in Batac City, Ilocos Norte secured a stall to sell its products, including brown rice at the city’s public market. Mayor Albert D. Chua leads the ribbon-cutting and opening of the One-Barangay-One-Product (OBOP) stall.  The OBOP stall will not only provide steady supply of brown rice, but will also help the Rayuray Farmers’ Cooperative increase […]

Farmers often get excited come harvest time. Unfortunately, some overlook that postproduction practices are as important as growing rice. A 2010 study by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization shows that 16.47% of rice is lost on postproduction. When saved, experts said, the losses could have covered the amount of rice imported annually. Dealing with rice the right way 1. Harvest at the right time As rice varieties […]

April is special for the Philippine rice industry because it was proclaimed as the Panagyaman Festival Month, the national celebration of bountiful harvest. Such festive events could be very enticing to attend because of extravagance, colorful food, and the opportunity for income-generating activities. Amidst merriments, the Philippine festivals are more than what meets the eye. Here are some symbols and their meanings embedded in selected Philippine agricultural festivals such as […]

Certain species of rhizobacteria can modify the structure of rice roots, thereby increasing the plant’s ability to tolerate drought, a recent study showed. Drought stress is a limiting factor in rice production, especially in upland where farmers are dependent to rainfall as irrigation source. In their research, PhilRice scientists Roel Suralta, Jayvee Cruz, and their team, together with the students from Muñoz National High School, found that treating rice with […]

Summer is one of the best times that we can fuel our children’s dreams. A PhilRice visit may give them a kick-start in knowing more about their passion and what they want to achieve.

HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICERS. As an institution holding three ISO  certifications, PhilRice further improve its working environment by conducting a  seminar on basic occupational safety and health.About 40 staff were trained, April 22-25. The Integrated Management Systems and Services, headed by Hazel Jane Orge, led the five-day activity.       PHOTO RESOURCE ADMINISTRATORS (PRA): A more efficient knowledge management is expected with the new PhilRice photographers. Trained on basic photography […]

Aside from the opportunity of studying in a good school, scholarship gives free education and covers lodging, travel allowance, and book allowance. So, if you’re planning to apply for a free graduate course, consider these tips. Start from the net and Human Resource Management Office Genevive Nemeño of PhilRice Agusan found her scholarship through browsing the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) website. She filled up all the requirements listed […]

A global trend is threatening food security.  Many of the young people are evidently leaving rural areas to pursue non-agricultural careers in urban districts. In the Philippines, a team from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) finds a way to help engage the Filipino youth in agriculture. Dubbed as “Infomediary Campaign,” the campaign worked with the Department of Education (DepEd) to encourage the youth to explore the farming sector and to […]

Makahiya (Mimosa pudica) and Lantana (Lantana camara), medicinal plants known to treat common diseases in humans, were also found to be beneficial to rice plants, recent study showed. In a research, Nueva Ecija High School student Lena Nagaosa with her adviser Jerandel Gaspar and PhilRice researchers Ma. Salome Duca and Dindo King Donayre, gathered that said perennial weed and flowering plant can fight bacterial leaf blight (BLB) in rice. BLB […]