More than 500 seed growers nationwide attended the first Seed Growers’ Cooperatives and Associations (SGCA) General Assembly organized by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program.
Held in Nueva Ecija, Iloilo, and Davao from April to May, the assembly assessed the performance of SGCAs engaged in Phase 1 of the RCEF Seed Program, defined policies for the program’s second phase, and shared best practices among seed growers.
“This is more than just a meeting. It’s a move to solve real challenges in the field. We agreed to improve seed availability, speed up delivery, and maintain quality at every step,” said PhilRice RCEF Program Management Office Director Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey.
She also explained that from 2019 to 2024, the RCEF Seed Program and the DA National Rice Program Inbred Seed component distributed around 20 million bags of certified inbred rice seeds to more than 2 million farmers across 78 provinces.
The program recognized top-performing partner seed cooperatives and associations for their excellence and dedication to quality seed production and delivery. The “Best Seed Growers Cooperative” award in Luzon was given to Isabela Seed Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ISGMPC). Its consistency and excellence helped address seed shortages in several regions in the Philippines.
Moreover, special citation awards from the Luzon cluster were given to Apayao Seed Producers Multi-purpose Cooperative (ASPMPC), Seed Producers Cooperative of Occidental Mindoro-District II (SEPCOM), Bulacan Seed Growers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BSGMPC), and Tarlac Provincial Seed Growers Primary Multipurpose Cooperative (TAPSGRO).
Meanwhile, the Southern Leyte Seed Growers Association, Inc. bagged the special citation award for the Visayas cluster. The association was recognized for its commitment and consistency in delivering seeds across five municipalities.
In Mindanao, the Davao Oriental Seed Producers Cooperative also received a special citation for producing over 23,000 additional bags, thereby supporting seed supply demands in Regions 12 and 13.
