Irrigators` association adopts PhilRice technology

North Cotabato farmers are now practicing synchronous planting after they tried a water-saving technology promoted by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country’s lead agency in rice science and development.

Engr. Flora Mae D. Respicio, principal engineer of M’lang/Malasila River Irrigation Systems (MLARIS), said controlled irrigation, a practical technique on saving irrigation water without decreasing yield, enabled farmers to share water supply with rice tillers owning farms in downstream.

In controlled irrigation, observation wells are used to monitor the status of water to help farmers determine the appropriate amount of water and timing of irrigation. Meanwhile, synchronous planting within one month is recommended to avoid the overlapping occurrence of pests and diseases.

“We used to implement 3-4-days irrigation interval but it caused conflicts among farmers because the water supply only reaches the mid-streams resulting in late planting or no planting in downstream. From this schedule, we shifted to 7-days irrigation interval,” she said in a field day recently conducted by PhilRice station based in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

Respicio said LIDANAMA Irrigators` Association members initially had apprehensions following the new schedule as they are used to seeing their fields immersed with water.

“Through controlled irrigation, farmers are confident that nothing will happen to their rice plants after seven days of no water release. Now, the 1,660 ha of LIDANAMA Irrigators` Association were planted synchronously based on 2012 dry season cropping calendar,” she said.

About 175 rice farmers in the seven irrigators’ association covered by MLARIS had adopted controlled irrigation. With its adoption, Respicio said the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Region 12 will form core trainers who will implement the technology in a wider scale.

Philippines` Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Country Outreach Program funds the project in collaboration with PhilRice and NIA.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

Agri chief urges farmers, students to impart agri info

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala urges about 1,000 farmers and students to help the country in its bid for rice self-sufficiency by sharing the practices and technologies they learned from the Science and Technology Based Farm (STBF) and Gulayan sa Barangay projects.

During the farmers’ field day and graduation of the STBF farmer-beneficiaries and Gulayan sa Barangay student-participants in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro last March 20, Alcala said that the graduates should share the knowledge they gained from their season-long training to their fellow farmers and students to help them augment their yield and income.

Celia G. Abadilla, focal person of the STBF on varietal trials, reported that the 4.5 tons/ha yield of Calintaan and Rizal was increased to 5.6 tons/ha during the last cropping season after its two-year implementation.

Irrigated lowland rice varieties such as NSIC Rc212 (Tubigan 15), Rc160 (Tubigan 14), Rc226 (Tubigan 20), Rc222 (Tubigan 18), and Rc224 (Tubigan 19) were tested for adaptability.

The success of the STBF project has paved way for its expansion in three barangays of Calintaan. Abadilla also said that farmers requested for another field trial showcasing different technological interventions.

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development implements the STBF Project, under the Techno Gabay Program, which aimed at showing the effectiveness of S&T interventions in improving the productivity and income of the Magsasaka Siyentista and other beneficiaries in the locality through the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services Center.

The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, implements the Gulayan sa Barangay project to provide families and their children nutritious vegetables for home consumption and additional source of income.

The STBF and Gulayan sa Barangay projects are implemented in partnership with PhilRice and the local government unit.

Heads of various agencies and regional field units of the Department of Agriculture, Occidental Mindoro Governor Josephine R. Sato and Vice Governor Mario Gene J. Mendiola, Calintaan Mayor Lily R. Estoya, Rizal Mayor Jesus Valdez, and provincial  board members also joined in the field day and graduation.

Hand tractors, hybrid carabaos and goats, 150 cavans of certified seeds, and registered seeds were also given to the farmers and students.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

PhilRice researchers upgrade skills on precision farming tools

Development of location-specific technologies could now be made easier and more accurate with the application of a software program consisting of crop simulation models on rice science and technology. The software was presented to about 40 researchers of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in a three-day training held at the Institute’s Central Experiment Station, Feb27-29.

To be proposed as component of PhilRice projects, Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) “integrates the effects of soil, crop phenotype or traits, weather, and management options on crop yield and allows software users to ask ‘what if’ questions by conducting virtual simulation experiments on a computer in minutes.”

 “With this agri-tool, we can simulate how specific varieties will perform under different environmental conditions. We can accurately identify technologies that need to be developed and can provide recommendations for farmers to achieve the maximum potential of their land,” said Dr. Nenita V. Desamero, training organizer and program leader of PhilRice’s Developing Technologies to Break the Low Rice Yield Barriers in Rainfed, Upland, and other Adverse Environments (BYB) program.

Dr. Orlando Balderama, training facilitator and an expert on crop simulation modeling from Isabela State University said that by simply calibrating the parameters like soil, climate, and farm inputs, appropriate crop management strategies and expected yield performance can be easily projected.

Balderama said DSSAT’s simulation features make it a perfect tool for the realization of smart and precision farming in Philippine agriculture. Other than the researchers, he said that when trained, farmers could also use DSSAT in improving their farming practices.

Meanwhile, PhilRice researchers Elmer Alosnos and Glenn de Peralta added that the software program is useful and relevant for rice specialists working on the development of recommended practices on climate change adaptation and nutrient management.

The three-day training was an initiative of PhilRice station in Batac, Ilocos Norte through Dr. Reynaldo Castro and Juanito Maloom and the Office of the executive Director for Development as support to BYB and Developing Technologies to Surpass the Dry Season Irrigated Lowland Rice Yield Plateau programs.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

Agrarian reform beneficiaries prime up for mechanized farming

Farmer-leaders of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) project in Region III are getting ready for a grant turn-over through training facilitated by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, March 14-16.

The training, a component of Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program, equips the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Central Luzon with skills needed in the safe operation of farm implements, which the Department will soon distribute in the area.

Ming Ocampo, DAR training coordinator, said farmers will receive, among others such as tractor, harvester, and thresher, to help solve labor scarcity during peak operations and ensure the quality of rice harvests.

DAR’s banner program also aims to increase ARBs’ income, farm productivity, and crop value through farm service facilities

Aside from training farmer-leaders on safe farm machine operations and maintenance, PalayCheck system, an integrated farming system that uses cost-effective technologies, was also be promoted to the farmers.

Lea dR. Abaoag, division head of PhilRice Technology Management and Services Division, said “dissemination of rice information and cost-effective technologies is hoped to be accelerated through the farmer networks that ARCCESS will create.”

Through an agreement with DAR, PhilRice will also provide technical skills to farmer-leaders and open access to rice information and decision support tools through PhilRice’s Text Center and Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

Expert alerts farmers on rat damage

Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija - Crop specialist based at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in this city urges farmers to intensify rat control in areas where crops are nearing the booting stage.

Leonardo V. Marquez of PhilRice Crop Protection Division (CPD) said farmers should start inspecting breeding grounds of rats as the female long-tailed rodents usually get pregnant in March.

“Rat population starts to increase at booting stage because rats will have something to feed on, which favors breeding,” Marquez said. With enough food and water, a pair of rats and their offspring can produce more than 500 puppies.

According to Marquez, rat control requires proper timing and must be controlled during low populations or before rice enters the reproductive stage to reduce their damage in later stages.

At PhilRice’ Central Experiment Station, researchers and laborers track rats on creeks, irrigation canals, and ducts for about two hours starting at around 7 a.m. With sacks or fish nets, bamboo rods, and pails, PhilRice labor staff usually caught more than 80 rats in 90 ha.

Marquez said that rats usually hide and reproduce in burrows, then go out from their holes when rice plants are in reproductive stage. A tip in controlling rats in burrows, Marquez said, is to fill up the burrows with mixed soil and water so the whole burrow is shut when the mud dries up.

Marquez also recommended for a year-round community-wide rat control, field sanitization, and proper water management to reduce rat populations.

Marquez stressed that community-wide rat control conducted bi-monthly is important as rats are very mobile and difficult to catch. He also said that fields must be free from weeds and dikes must be kept narrow.

“Water depths of irrigation water must also be maintained at 3-5 cm depth to discourage rats from cutting and chewing the tillers,” he said.

PhilRice rat control activities are being led by CPD and are conducted four times a month after crop establishment every season.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

1,500 magsasaka, mangingisda tatanggap ng ayuda

MALOLOS - Mahigit isang libong magsasaka at mangingisda ang magtitipon-tipon sa Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium bukas, ika-20 ng Marso sa ganap na ikawalo ng umaga kung saan pangungunahan ni Gobernador Wilhelmino Alvarado ang pamimigay ng mga donasyon sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Pedring at Quiel.

Sinabi ni Alvarado na mamahagi sila ng 200,000 mangrove seedlings, 20, 000 nipa shoots at 20 shallow tube wells at 10 milyong fingerlings ng mga bangus at tilapia.

“Through the years, Bulakenyos had proven that we are not the sort who gives up easily. That’s why, we would like to help our fishermen and farmers to start anew and gain back what they had lost during the typhoons. It will also serve as a step for the improvement of agricultural production,” said Alvarado.

Ayon pa kay Provincial Agriculturist Gloria Carillo, nagmula sa Obando, Malolos, Hagonoy at Paombong ang karamihan sa mga mangingisda na naapektuhan ng bagyo.

Idinagdag pa niya na panauhing pandangal si Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima at magbibigay din ito ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga karapatan ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Dadalo rin ang mga kinatawan mula sa Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), National Irrigation Administration (NIA) at Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Isasagawa rin ang panunumpa ng mga bagong miyembro ng Barangay Agrarian Reform Council (BARC) na siyang magsisilbing katuwang ng pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) sa mga barangay.  (PPAO)

Harvest time

Baliuag farmers as photographed on March 15.

Farmers bewails deferment of gov't subsidy

MALOLOS CITY (May 24, '11)—Malacanang’s deferment of fuel subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk drew varied reactions from Bulacan farmer.

Some even proposed drastic actions like staging street protests, and planting crops just enough for their families.

But cooler heads advised to ask local congressional representatives in their behalf before staging protests; while others warned that planting crops just enough for farmers’ families will encourage the government to import more agricultural products and smuggling.

Still, others noted that fuel subsidy is the least that the government can give to farmers and fisherfolk saying that they also need subsidy for seeds, marketing and even further promotion of organic farming.

“Nalulungkot kami sa pagbawi ng subsidy para magsasaka, samantalang kami ang may pinakamahalagang role na ginagampanan sa lipunan,” said Roger Apostol, the vice chair of the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council (PAFC) of Bulacan.

He said, “mula sa pinakahamak na pamilya hanggang sa pinakamayaman, nakadepende sa produksyon ng magsasaka ang pagkain, pero ayaw kaming bigyan ng subsidy ngayon.”

Apostol also question the wisdom in giving fuel subsidy to the transport sector, while deferring what was promised to them.

“Imagine, yung mga drivers, pag namasada sa umaga, sa hapon may kita na; kaming magsasaka, apat na buwang nagtatanim ng palay saka pa lang kikita, ang pinakamabilis naming maitanim at anihin ay pechay, pero isang buwan yon bago kami mag-ani,” he said.

Apostol called on government for balance treatment of the transport and agriculture sector saying, “kung yung mga driver ay binibigyan ng subsidy, dapat kaming magsasaka ay bigyan din.”

When asked for possible move after the government deferred giving them subsidy, he said they are planning to submit a resolution to local congressional representatives to intervene for them.

For Melencio Domingo, the chair of the Malolos City Agriculture and FisheriesCouncil (MCAFC), drastic actions like streets protests is needed to wake up the government.

He said, “pinaasa lang nila kami kaya ang payo ko ay mag-rally na kami.”

Domingo also said that other farmers like Roger Macasu of San Miguel town proposed that they plant crops enough for their families consumption.

However, other farmer leaders prevailed saying that Macasu’s proposal will encourage importation of agricultural products, and even smuggling.

With regards to President Aquino’s statement on the lack of inventory of farmer’s numbers, Domingo said farmer leaders in the province submitted a master list to agriculture offices in towns, cities, provinces and in the regions.

“Ang nakapagtataka, hindi nila kami kinikilala, nakapagsubmit na kami ng masterlist.  Ngayon, tiyak na kami ang sisihin ng mga magsasaka,” he said.

For her part, Liza Sacdalan of the Central Luzon Organic Rice Producers Association (Clorpa) said that fuel subsidy is noting but a consolation to farmers, and there other subsidies that the government must provide for them.

“Konsuelo de bobo lang, hindi naman ganoon kadamia ng bibigyan ng fuel subsidy, ang dapat nilang tingnan ay ibang areas of concern na pwede nilang tulungan ang farmers,” she said.

Sacdalan stressed that need subsidy on certified seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and marketing of farm produce.

However, as leader of an organization of organic farmers, she said they don’t need subsidy on certified seeds.

“We are producing our own seeds, ang kailangan namin ay ayuda ng gobyerno sa pagpapaunlad ng organic agriculture,” Sacdalan said.

She also expressed concerned over proposals in the House of Representatives with regards to raising dues for farmers’ irrigation.

She also raised concerned over government subsidy on palay procurement price of P17 per kilo.

Sacdalan said not everybody is getting P17 per kilo procurement from the National Food Authority (NFA) and added that the grains agency cannot buy all palahy produced by farmers due to importation.

“Kapag tuyo lang ang palay saka binabayaran ng NFA ng P17 per kilo, pero pag hindi, P8 lang kung minsan ang ibinbayad ng traders,” she said.

On Tuesday, Malacanang deferred the implementation of fuel subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk, citing the lack of inventory on their real numbers.

This came after the President announced last May 1 the P4.23-billion rice subsidy the government would provide to farmers and fisherfolk, on top of the P2-billion farm inputs that are already in the pipeline.

However, report said that only the rice subsidy pushed through.

PhilRice dev’t group backs rice self-sufficiency

The development group of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is helping the country achieve rice self-sufficiency through its initiatives conducted last year, which were presented during the recent three-day Development Roadmap Planning Workshop held at the Institute’s Central Experiment Station in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

The initiatives, which included trainings, extension modalities, and the completed location-specific technology development project (LSTD), contributed to the increase in farmers’ yield and income and had enhanced good practices in rice farming.

In North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, adoption of PalayCheck, an integrated crop management system for rice, and use of recommended varieties increased farmers’ yield from less than 4 t/ha to about 6 t/ha. Farmers in these areas found NSIC Rc158, Rc160, Rc212, Rc214, Rc216, and Rc222 to be suitable while 68 percent of farmers who attended the field days conducted by PhiRice station in Midsayap, North Cotabato, perceived Minus One Element Technique and Leaf Color Chart as useful tools in reducing fertilizers costs.

Adaptability tests of newly released varieties also showed that Mestizo 19 and 20, newly released hybrid rice varieties, and Tubigan 22 (NSIC Rc240), an inbred variety, performed well in San Mateo, Isabela and Iguig, Cagayan after registering an average grain yield of 8-10 t/ha.

The group, led by Deputy Executive Director for Development  Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, also helped in buffering rice seed supply in Negros Occidental from 45-130 percent through the TechFlow project and implemented innovations in reaching more extension workers and farmers through videoconferencing and integrating the use of cellphones on radio programs.

PhilRice enhanced the skills of Mangyan farmers in Mindoro by training them in Palayamanan, a diversified rice-based farming system, and the capacities of Abra women in promoting technologies to their fellow farmers.

Meanwhile, PhilRice station in Batac, Ilocos Norte helped the seed growers in their areas gain an average income of PhP 77, 052 /ha in a cropping season through its technical assistance.

In last year’s wet season, the completed LSTD program had established 535 technology demonstration sites and Farmers’ Field Schools across the country. Program implementers have also trained about 400 rice specialists since 2008. Moreover, 170 technology packages were developed, which the local government units could implement in their locality.

With the group’s accomplishments, PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio T. Rasco urged the development workers to continue innovating and improvising so “we can face new challenges and [utilize] opportunities in [sustaining] the Institute’s core goals: sustainability, sufficiency and competitiveness.”

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also visit their website at www.philrice.gov.ph or text your questions to 0920-911-1398.

Cellphones benefit farmers; youth proposed as info channels

Returning scholars of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) had identified farmers’ benefits from using cellphones and the prospect of tapping the youth in disseminating agriculture information through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Hazel V. Antonio, who finished MSc in International Development Studies in Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands, and Jaime A. Manalo IV, an alumnus of Communication for Social Change program at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, noted cellphones as innovative tools in helping farmers increase productivity. Results of their study were presented in a seminar conducted at the Institute`s Central Experiment Station in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

In her study, Antonio found that cellphones brought farmers savings on transaction and knowledge search costs. The communication device also reduced production expenses and helped increase yield. Results also revealed that the use of cellphones in canvassing palay prices could result in higher selling price as the device helps farmers identify buyers with the most reasonable price. 

In a season, farmers who learned new rice technologies via PhilRice Farmers’ Text Center gained an additional income of P39,000. The farmer-respondents also reported that their selling price increased to as high as PhP14,000 by getting traders’ quotations without travelling.

Her respondents further said they saved as much as PhP8,403 from transportation cost. They used their mobile phones in supervising farm laborers and locating seed and fertilizer sources.

The interviewed farmers also said they gained PhP730 by inquiring through text, instead of going to sources of technical information such as in municipal agriculture offices.

Overall, 85 of the 100 farmer-respondents were able to benefit either in the form of savings, higher income through better selling price of palay, higher yield, or a combination of the three.

Moreover, results showed that using cellphones for agriculture-related activities save more time in farming, which resulted in generating more income from non-agricultural work such as fishing, carpentry, and tricycle driving.

Supporting the results of the study, Manalo said that in a country that envisions food self-sufficiency, the advantages of using cellphones must be extended to more farmers so they could also enjoy the benefits.

A part of Manalo’s research revealed that youth perceived farming as either a wealth multiplier, key to achieving their dreams for their family, or a way to help poor relatives.

“A very strong link between love of family and the desire to continue farming in the future was also established in this study.  A good number of farmers’ children remain to have favorable perceptions on farming and would like to be involved in it in different capacities, directly or indirectly. Some of them want to be farming investors,” he said.

With the results, he recommended that the youth be tapped as channels in extending information to their farmer-parents and relatives who have anxieties in using the device and other ICTs. The recommendation is further supported by the results of another study in 2010, which revealed that farmers want their children to search information for them.

To engage the youth in searching information through cellphones, he proposed that rice camps and information campaign on youth as information channels for farmers would be conducted.

He also suggested for the inclusion of an ICT4D (ICT for Development) in agriculture module in the Technology and Livelihood Education subject; incorporation of games and online quizzes on agriculture-related websites; and for the PhilRice Farmers’ Text Center to consider the “farming buddy” and “textmate” set-up.

DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding, cost-reducing, and environment-friendly technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

For more information, please visit or contact DA-PhilRice at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija with telephone number (044) 456-0285 loc 511/512 or any PhilRice station near you. You may also visit their website at www.philrice.gov.ph or text your questions to 0920-911-1398.