The DA-PhilRice Management Committee (ManCom) during its 22nd regular meeting on July 7 tackled the Masagana Rice Programs, which has two strands: 150 and 200. Masagana 150 is expected to yield 7.5t of inbred rice per hectare, while Masagana 200 aims at 10t of hybrid rice a hectare. The outgoing DA leadership drafted the Masagana proposals in response to the marching orders of the President/DA Secretary Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. […]

DA-PhilRice through its Midsayap branch on June 29 received three units of agricultural machines from the Government of Hungary through its embassy in Manila as part of a technical cooperation on agricultural research and technology.  The MUMGÉP grader, tractor drive branch chopper, and Umwelt suspended rotary hay rake are expected to boost the branch’s rice research and production activities. Dr. Titanilla Toth, ambassador of Hungary to PH, turned over the […]

A crop health training aimed at improving the Negros team’s pest monitoring and data collection process was conducted by the CES-based Pest Risk Identification and Management (PRIME) team on June 29. The PRIME project sets up monitoring fields where collected data are sent to a Web App that gives out alerts in case of increased pest incidences. Negros station has 30 crop health monitoring fields at present.

To further understand their situation and determine the specific needs of farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) for capacity development, assistance, and support, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program started conducting in June-July focused group discussions (FGD) with 120 identified FCAs nationwide. The results were assessed and validated by the DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PHilMech). Fifty Luzon-based FCAs have gone through the FGD led by DA-PhilRice, with […]

Drone technology for direct seeding, is it possible? This is the main question that was answered by our drone researchers during the June 23 AgriKapihan at the FutureRice Farm, DA-PhilRice Central Experiment Station. Seventy farmers, coop members, and agriculturists from LGU-Talavera and Science City of Muñoz, Central Luzon Hybrid and Inbred Rice Seeds Agriculture Cooperative (CLHIRSAC), Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Coop (NMAPMPC), and Bantug Primary Multi-Purpose Coop along with […]

DA-PhilRice Isabela, in collaboration with the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has fulfilled the second component of the project on selection and dissemination of elite salt-tolerant rice varieties to AFACI member-countries.  On June 3, a technical briefing and seed distribution of salt-tolerant rice varieties was conducted in Buguey and Sta. Teresita in Cagayan. A total of 125 bags certified seeds of […]

DA-PhilRice revisited its vision, mission, and core values during its Strategic Planning Workshop held on May 25-26 to discuss the Institute’s new task environment. Challenges and opportunities, and possible thematic areas in rice research for development and extension (R4D&E) were also identified and fleshed out. A plenary discussion examined DA-PhilRice’s status in implementing the Strategic Plan, and how the outputs are being translated in RiceBIS areas.  The session “What should […]

Some 120 farmers and provincial agriculture staff joined the 2022 Dry Season Lakbay Palay at DA-PhilRice Negros, May 23. The event consisted of a field tour through seven stations and an open forum. At station 1, the Animal and Organic Options Component of DiscoveRice Project bannered the use of rice remnants as vermicompost substrates and animal feeds, while other crops are essential as food alternatives. Station 2 showcased six special- […]

Agricultural extension workers, local government unit farmer leaders, and representatives from farm schools, partner agencies, and state universities and colleges in Region 1 acquired knowledge on rice production technologies after the intensive Training of Trainers (TOT) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) on April 18-29 and May 10-21. The training centered on the production of high-quality inbred rice seeds, farm mechanization, knowledge-sharing competencies, ICT-based tools and […]

RCEF Coordinators and their teams were steadfast in conducting rice seed distribution activities under the “new normal” conditions. This required them to establish a good relationship or build a network, especially among legislators, regional and local government units, and farmers. They struggled with transporting seeds island-to-island, crowd management during seed distribution, deploying provincial coordinators to avoid travel restrictions and speed up distribution, conducting regular field coaching among farmers, and most […]