Pupils from kindergarten to Grade 6 at Maligaya Elementary School in Science City of Muñoz join the celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) on Nov. 25 through the NRAM for kids event. It planted good seeds in the hearts and minds of children through creative presentations: storytelling, games, Zumba dance, and gift-giving of knowledge products for children. The event garnered a 100% satisfactory rate among the young learners […]

New crop specialists. Knowledge of 30 farmers in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte was enhanced after attending a course on pest and nutrient management in rice, Nov 7-11 . They learned about the use of attractants and the agro-ecosystem analysis or a way of understanding the interactions of the different factors in the field, which are directly and indirectly affecting the growth and development of the crop. The training is […]

Confident Bicol rice specialists. Finishing off their three-month Rice Specialists Training Course (RSTC), the 28 rice specialists taught by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Ligao, Albay, said they are now ready to help improve farmers’ competitiveness. According to Benjie Rance, the training under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, has equipped him with essential knowledge. The training was conducted from June 6 to Oct. 21 at DA-PhilRice […]

Bangladesh Parliament Member Tanvir Shakil Joy (2nd from R) lauded the good stand of Golden Rice NSIC 2022 Rc 682 GR2E (Malusog-1) during their visit on Sep. 30. Above, the Institute’s top officials share copies of the PhilRice Story Book to Joy and Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik (2nd from L) of the Ministry of Environment.

TeknoTalakayan. A new sharing and learning activity under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program provided venue for the beneficiaries to convey their experiences to fellow farmers. Recently, Nolasco Ilas, farmer-cooperator and machine operator, reported that using combine harvester made his work easier. With this machine, he only employed four to five farm hands compared with the usual 15-20 to finish a hectare in one day. TeknoTalakayan of the […]

Maguindanao farmers favored the Minus-One-Element Technique (MOET), a crop diagnostic tool that determines soil nutrient deficiency, during the Sep. 6 visit of DA-PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Development Dr. Karen Eloisa T. Barroga in Sustainable Agricultural Farming Farm School at Brgy. Manungkaling, Mamasapano, Maguindanao. They reported that MOET is their guide in proper nutrient management, which lessens their costs in purchasing fertilizers.

The power of printed words. Rodel Guevarra, a farmer-leader from Pagsanjan, Laguna, shared that the leaflet, “Pesteng Insekto at Sakit,” corrected his misconceptions on common pests and diseases. “I used to believe that rice seeds from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) are carriers of the “tungro” disease so I was hesitant to use them.  However, through the leaflet, I am taught that I should be wary of green leafhoppers […]

Beyond the classroom. Cheryl Bundalian, a young instructor at Southern Luzon State University (SLSU), can now better educate her students in agriculture with the completion of her training under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. According to Bundalian, she had been teaching her students the Minus-One Element Technique (MOET), a nutrient diagnostic tool, but was only able to try the technology during the training. She also used the ICT-based applications such […]

Major challenges, thematic areas, agenda and program thrusts, implementing/scaling partners, outcomes and impacts were identified through workshop groups composed of around 100 staff members from branch stations, divisions, offices, and units during the July 20-22 StratPlan activity.

More choices for richer yield. Ilukano farmers can now check and compare the performance of hybrid varieties that they can consider come next planting season in the 120-ha demonstration farm in Brgy. Cabaruan, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Hybrid rice is a product of two different cross-pollinated rice plants with superior qualities, which yields up to 15% higher than the inbred varieties. DA-PhilRice Batac introduced the public hybrids Mestizo 1 (M1) and […]