Following the approval of the commercial propagation of Golden Rice, the Philippine Rice Research Institute of the Department of Agriculture (DA-PhilRice) is now working on the necessary steps such as seed production towards its deployment.
On a visit to DA-PhilRice Central Experiment Station in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, May 6, Sec. William Dar received an overview of ongoing Golden Rice seed production activities and administered a ceremonial handover of seeds to seed growers/producers in Nueva Ecija who will take part in the expansion of Golden Rice seed production come wet season planting.
Golden Rice seeds were also distributed to selected seed growers and regional DA research and experiment centers in Ilocos Norte and Isabela earlier this week. These provinces are among the areas identified for the expanded seed production of Golden Rice in Memorandum Order No. 19 Series of 2022, which institutionalizes the support of the Department of Agriculture for the deployment of Golden Rice across the country.
Golden Rice is the first genetically modified rice variety for improved nutrition. Intended as a complementary intervention to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD), it has been assessed to be as safe as ordinary rice with the added benefit of beta-carotene in the grains in five countries, including the Philippines. Golden Rice was recently registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) as NSIC 2022 Rc 682GR2E or Malusog 1.
