DA-NorMin to rev up local rice productivity via integrated rice-duck farming system

 

To scale up Northern Mindanao’s rice production, the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao Field Office (DA-NorMin) is set to prime the Integrated Rice-Duck Farming System (IRDFS) Technology Demonstration Farm in the region in time with the 2025 wet planting season.

As a flagship initiative of DA-NorMin Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, the IRDFS is deemed an expansion to the Organic Rice Production Program of the agency, offering farmers substantial economic benefits in rice farming.

The IRDFS is an integrated agricultural production system where ducks are raised alongside palay crops, creating a mutually beneficial environment for optimum growth and yield.

The symbiosis between duck and palay crop enhances yield and profitability for rice farmers by reducing costs on fertilizer and pests and weeds control, while enabling farmers to diversify their income streams by producing rice and duck and duck products – meat, eggs, chicks.

The DA-NorMin through its Rice Program targets to pilot a 60-hectare IRDFS demonstration farms in Valencia City, Bukidnon in cooperation with the City Government of Valencia and farmer-cooperators from the Kahapunan Valencia City Irrigator’s Association (KVCIA).

These demonstration farms will serve as the DA’s research site to study the effectiveness of organic rice production technologies by gathering comparative data on crop management practices, soil condition, water usage, input application, and yield performance as foundational data for monitoring, evaluation, and future scaling of the project.

As part of the DA’s intervention under the IRDFS, farmer-cooperators will be provided rice seeds, fertilizer, ducklings, feeds, and nets.

As partner LGU, Valencia City also provided rice seeds and vermicompost to early planting farmer cooperators.

The farmers will also be provided technical assistance for the season-long cropping period, including the conduct of soil analysis, natural pest and disease control measures using Biological Control Agents (BCAs) and disease and health monitoring of the ducks.

The IRDFS is also being promoted by the DA-NorMin as a farm diversification concept under the Palayamanan System, with which the department urges farmers to adopt crops and livestock integration farming practices for optimal productivity.

The Palayamanan System will be rolled out in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Camiguin.

In consonance with President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration’s thrust on food security and sustainable agriculture, the DA-NorMin continuously advocate groundbreaking farming methods to revolutionize rice production technology in the region.# (ATT/NQA Photo credits: NQA)