Farmers in Marag Village in Luna, Apayao, are seeing improved harvests as the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program expands to their province, enabling DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Isabela to provide more training and support.
Before the intervention, farmers relied on inbred rice seeds with lower yields, but since receiving support from PhilRice and other agricultural institutions starting in 2013, their harvests have significantly increased.
James A. Trumpo, a 28-year-old farmer, credited PhilRice Isabela’s enhanced training on hybrid seed production—particularly on nutrient and pest management—for helping him refine his farming techniques in 2024.
“I used to mix complete and urea fertilizers in one application, not knowing it was wrong. Now, I follow the Right Element, Amount, and Timing (Right EAT) technique, and it has made a big difference,” he said.
Before shifting to hybrid rice, Trumpo harvested only 1.1t from his half-hectare farm, but after switching, his yield increased to 2.4t. With the dry season planting of Mestiso 20 (NSIC Rc 204H), a public hybrid rice variety bred by PhilRice, he remains optimistic about an even better harvest.
Jefanie R. Bumanglag, 31, used to struggle with frequent pest infestations due to a lack of knowledge about pest management and proper fertilizer application, resulting in a harvest of only 0.5t from her 2500m² field. After the interventions and training from PhilRice, her harvest increased to 1.2t.
“After the training, my expenses rose from P6,000 in 2017 to P10,000 in 2024, but my income doubled to P20,000. Therefore, the additional costs were worthwhile. With higher earnings, I was able to support my family, invest in better farm inputs, and save money. We’ve even bought more land and started building our house. Without PhilRice’s support, our harvests might still be just enough for daily meals,” she shared.
Jocelyn B. Ramos echoed the same sentiments, saying, “My expenses increased from P10,000 with inbred to P30,000 with hybrid, but my income also grew significantly. Hybrid rice has bigger leaves, which I believe helped increase the yield of my 0.75-hectare farm from 2t to 3.6t. With our earnings, we’ve invested in our home and farm, buying appliances, a motorcycle, and a hand tractor.”
Looking ahead, the farmers of Marag aspire to become seed growers.
“We received training on F1 hybrid rice production, and we plan to pursue seed growing in the future,” Bumanglag said.
