By Zorayda Tecson
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 3 (RFO3) will continue to implement the rice hybridization program in Central Luzon to help attain rice self-sufficiency.
DA-RFO 3 Regional Seed Coordinator Christian Ramos has cited the importance of continuing the program to encourage more farmers to go into hybrid rice farming which is proven to increase yield.
“The hybridization program will continue because it helps increase productivity in terms of rice production),” he said.
Ramos said the objective of the program is to promote the use of recommended hybrid rice varieties and the adoption of new technologies that can help improve the farmers’ livelihood and make the rice industry sustainable and sufficient.
Lina S. Apolonio, chairperson of the AMIA Cruz Farmers Association in Victoria, Tarlac, has encouraged her fellow farmers to use hybrid seeds and take advantage of the DA’s hybridization program.
“If farmers previously had problem on seeds, it is different now because of the help of the DA, Office of Provincial Agriculturist and the LGU. So, I encourage my fellow farmers to embrace the hybridization program because it improved our harvest and I am one of those who can prove that),” Apolonio said.
The DA, together with some local officials and representatives of seed firms, conducted a field day on Tuesday in a provincial hybrid rice technology demonstration farm which was put up in Barangay Cruz, Victoria town last year.
The AMIA Cruz Farmers Association which has 29 members, serves as the cooperator of the demonstration farm that aims to promote different hybrid rice varieties.
Six seed companies — Longping Tropical Rice Development Inc., SL Agritech Corporation, SeedWorks Philippines Inc., Bayer Crop Science, Corteva Agriscience, and Syngenta, on the other hand, served as consultants for the farmers in planting hybrid rice seeds.
DA-3 Regional Director Crispulo Bautista earlier asked for the support of the seed companies in the implementation of the rice hybridization program by conducting field demonstrations to showcase their different rice varieties and products.
The rice hybridization program is one of the strategies of DA to increase production through the provision of hybrid seeds adaptable to the region. (PNA)