R-10 sends its delegation to the 14^th national rice techno forum in Bula, Camarines Sur that brings together rice industry key players and stakeholders across the country for strategies development and policy recommendations towards achieving a more competitive Philippine rice industry.

 

BULA, CAMARINES SUR – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) sent its delegation from the Rice Program and other Operating Units along with select LGU representatives from Northern Mindanao to participate in the 14th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) in Bula, Camarines Sur on April 19-20, 2022.

With the theme “Increase Production through Hybrid Rice Technology” the NRTF aims to promote high-yielding and cost-reducing rice production technologies among the country’s rice farmers through the use of high quality seeds and the adoption of digital agriculture.

The NRTF brought together the rice industry key players and stakeholders across the country for strategies development and policy recommendations towards achieving a more competitive Philippine Rice Industry.

In his video message, DA Secretary William D. Dar underscored the DA’s farm consolidation approach in staging the NRTF as a way of empowering the rice industry stakeholders by allowing them to benefit from the agricultural value chain and achieve economies of scale.

“Through the (farm consolidation) approach the communities and cooperatives become more viable in producing specific products and generate bigger revenues and income. The (DA) interventions were also efficiently cascaded to the members” he said.

The secretary called for the continuous conduct of technology forum and other extension modalities to intensify efforts in establishing more agri clusters and campaign for the adoption of hybrid rice technology and best practices among the local farmers.

In his part, DA Undersecretary for Operations and Mechanization, Engr. Ariel Cayanan championed the farmers’ heroic role amid the pandemic, highlighting the possibility to mitigate the impact of the crisis through agriculture.

With a total of 519 rice farmer members, the San Agustin San Ramon Agrarian Reform Farmers Cooperative (SARFC) of San Ramon, Bula, Camarines Sur was chosen as the technology forum’s partner-cooperator.

The cooperative devoted a total of 104 hectares of rice areas planted with different varieties of hybrid and inbred certified rice seeds as demo farms.

The forum showcased breakthrough production technologies of various hybrid and inbred rice seeds suited for both wet and dry cropping seasons using modern farm machineries and drones.

DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado said the agency’s participation in the NRTF is instrumental in keeping its staff abreast with the latest and advanced rice production technologies to improve the region’s rice productivity and sufficiency.

Twelve participating seed companies and service providers took part in the NRTF: Bayer Crop Science Inc., Syngenta, SL Agritech Corp., Corteva Agriscience, Long Ping Tropical Rice Development Inc., Bioseed Research Phillipines, Inc., Seedworks Phils Inc., Leads Agricultural Product Corporation, Aljay Agri-Industrial Solutions, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRICE) , Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology ( PhilSCAT), and New Hope Corporation.

The 14th NRTF was hosted by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office V of the Bicol Region in collaboration with the Rice Productivity Advocacy Incorporated (Rice Board), DA-Agricultural Training Institute – RTC 5, DA-Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority – Regional Field Office 5, and the Local Government Unit of Bula, Camarines Sur.

The DA-RFO 10 delegates to the National Rice Technology Forum was headed by the agency’s Rice Program Focal Person, Ms. Chona H. Nacalaban.#(ATalib)