SHOWCASES SUITABLE RICE VARIETIES IN SURSUR ONERICEPH TECHNO DEMO

STORY BY LOVELY JOY L. SALUDEZ

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga continues to showcase the benefits of using recommended rice varieties and modern farm technologies in selected areas in the region through the OneRicePH project.

OneRicePH is a collaborative project of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Department of Agriculture, Provincial, and Local Government Units to unify rice breeding and dissemination strategy for the Philippines and produce quality and healthier rice.

A field day on OneRicePH: Expanded on-farm Technology Demonstration was conducted at the Municipality of Madrid, Surigao del Sur on March 17.

The said techno demo in Madrid showcased the rice varieties NSIC Rc480 and NSIC Rc508, planted in a 5-hectare demo area. The said varieties are recommended for irrigated lowland ecosystems, such as in Madrid.

The demo sites have a target yield of 7.50 metric tons per hectare compared to the 4.5 metric tons average yield in the municipality.

About 50 farmers from nearby communities witnessed and evaluated the performance of the said rice varieties. Using a rating card provided by the DA, each farmer rated the rice varieties based on their preference.

According to OneRicePh Project Leader Dr. Oliver E. Manangkil, the techno demo in Madrid demonstrates the yield potential of the different rice varieties that will motivate the farmers to adopt appropriate technology in their locality and eventually increase their productivity and efficiency.

“We want the farmers to personally experience the technologies and practices that we introduced. Since they are working on it themselves, they can witness and prove its efficiency,” he said.

Considering the importance of market, Municipal Mayor Juan Paolo Lopez vowed to give his utmost support from increasing yield up to the establishment of market linkages.

“I have been making ways to improve the farming sector. But this time, I am speeding up. For the rice allowances that we are giving to our soldiers, we will now directly procure it from our farmers. I am also planning to coordinate with other government agencies in the municipality such as the Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) to directly buy rice from the farmers here in Madrid,” he said.

Meanwhile, DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr. emphasized the significance of the agricultural sector, encouraging farmers to continue to apply the technologies they learned from the DA and share it with their fellow farmers.

“Whatever initiatives Madrid will implement relative to agriculture, DA will always be behind to support it. I hope that our farmers will never stop learning and