CCA Manila, DA-PhilRice, IRRI partner to develop Malusog Rice recipes

THE country’s top culinary school, CCA Manila, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DAPhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is proud to announce a partnership to develop a range of recipes using Malusog Rice as the main ingredient. This collaboration aims to celebrate Nutrition Month and promote the nutritional benefits of Malusog Rice, a groundbreaking variety of rice developed to help address vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in the country.

Rice constitutes almost 40 percent of the Filipino diet. But as much as we adore this staple, it falls short in providing essential micronutrients, like vitamin A. Improving the nutritional content of rice could have a significant impact on the nutritional intake of rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, where dietary inadequacy remains high among all socio- economic classes, compromising the health and potential of our children and families.

Malusog Rice, also known as Golden Rice, was developed by Prof. Ingo Potrykus and Prof. Peter Beyer, with the technology donated to developing countries like the Philippines. The Malusog Rice Program of DAPhilRice is leading the development, production, and deployment of Malusog Rice in the Philippines in collaboration with IRRI and other government and non-government agencies.

Malusog Rice has undergone rigorous biosafety assessments from reputable organizations such as Health Canada, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America, and the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry. It has been determined to be as safe, with the added benefit of betacarotene in the grain, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Malusog Rice offers significant benefits to the Filipino population. It can help improve children’s diets, often deficient in vitamin A, by providing 30 to 50 percent of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin A. One cup of cooked Malusog Rice can supply as much beta-carotene as four cups of cooked kangkong (water spinach), a commonly consumed vegetable.

Moreover, Malusog Rice’s taste and cost are not significantly different from commonly available rice varieties. Initial taste tests have shown that participants could not distinguish between Malusog Rice and regular rice. Ongoing consumer sensory evaluation in the pilot provinces confirms that the taste of Malusog Rice is comparable to that of regular rice.

The partnership between CCA Manila and the Malusog Rice Program aims to develop recipes that highlight the versatility of Malusog Rice by utilizing various indigenous ingredients, cooking methods, and heirloom techniques from the Philippines. These recipes, accompanied by comprehensive nutritional value calculations, will be designed to feed a typical Filipino family of six at an affordable cost of P300.

“We are excited to partner with the Malusog Rice Program to develop Malusog Rice Recipes that not only showcase the versatility of this remarkable rice variety but also contribute to addressing the pressing issue of vitamin A deficiency in our country,” said Dr. Ma. Veritas Luna, Chancellor for Education of CCA Manila. “Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire mothers, cooks, chefs, and consumers, in general, to explore the vast culinary possibilities of Malusog Rice and enhance the overall nutrition of our nation.” benta ng ubas,” Lomboy told Manila Standard Agiculture.

These experiences made her realize the type of work they do on the farm and the challenges they faced in the 40 years they operated.

Lomboy resigned from her fulltime job in Manila in 2017 and returned home for health reasons, allowing her to manage the farm under her father’s supervision.

“It’s fortunate I took that decision because, in 2018, my father passed away. It was a blessing in disguise because nakasama ko siya one year running the business para at least nakita ko ‘yung pasikot-sikot, kung ano kailangang baguhin, anong problema,” Lomboy said.

She added her father told her the legacy he wanted to leave with their family farm.

Lomboy finds fulfillment in seeing their grapes grow and how it empowers local farmers while bringing smiles to Filipinos who enjoy picking and consuming grapes.

Promoting viticulture

Although many Filipinos enjoy consuming grapes, the country’s tropical climate doesn’t make it endemic to the Philippines. It has roots in the Middle East and South American countries, but the trade and barter system eventually brought it to Philippine shores.

Modern farmers have since seen its potential in profitability.

“It’s an emerging high-value crop in terms of their revenue potential. Over the years, nakita namin ‘yung impact niya sa society and the communities. Malaki ‘yung changes in the socio-economic lives of the people in this particular industry,” Lomboy said.

Even though grape farming remains a niche industry in the country, Lomboy believes it can help local farmers, especially grassroots farmers, earn more from their usual harvest.

Malusog (Golden) Rice is a new type of rice developed through genetic engineering. It is infused with beta-carotene (a vital source of vitamin A) that gives the grain its radiant golden hue

The partnership between CCA Manila and the Malusog Rice Program signifies a significant step forward in combatting vitamin A deficiency in the Philippines. By combining culinary expertise with scientific innovation, the recipes will revolutionize the way Filipinos perceive and consume rice in their daily lives. For inquiries on CCA Manila’s programs, visit its website at http:// www.cca-manila.edu.ph. Email talktous@cca-manila.edu.ph or visit @ ccamanila on Facebook and Instagram.

For nagpacuttings, tumutulong sa harvest

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“As early as two years old, mulat na ako sa work namin sa farm. Nung kaya ko na, tumutulong na ako sa maliit na bagay. For example, pot ng nag-aalis ng sira breaks, a Read the full story on manilastandard.net.

The Lomboy family developed their grape production technique throughout the decades, allowing the production of different acclimatized grape varieties, including red cardinal, black ribier, and the Brazilian hybrid. Their watering, pruning, and other farming approaches enable them to harvest grapes three times a year, with the dry season as their most bountiful.

Innovative harvester synchronously reaps rice and the rice straw–omitting much greenhouse gas emission, much waste burning, and post-harvest loss

SEARCA ASEAN farm consortium to cut GHG emissions, raise farmers’ income

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) established an ASEAN farming consortium to generate carbon credit and cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) while raising farmers’ income.

SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the consortium would incentivize Asian farmers to adopt innovative technologies to reduce methane emissions from rice farming. It will generate carbon credits in the future.

Aside from solving a huge environmental problem, it will raise farmers’ income by at least 50 percent. It will generate rural jobs and produce an organic-type fertilizer.

“We will share the data (between Southeast Asian countries) and the experience from everyone. We will get funds together, and SEARCA will commit some funds to start it up,” said Gregorio at the “Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems in Southeast Asia” roundtable discussion. SEARCA co-organized it with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

SEARCA will start with a few pilot sites, use these as models for replication, and do actual measurements (greenhouse gas emissions, income) as the scientific basis for reproduction.

Farmers will be organized, formed into communities, and incentivized to use the innovations.

“We’ll incentivize them and use these incentive systems as a policy that may be adopted by legislators. Using these technologies needs a new mindset,” said Gregorio.

Among climate-smart varieties to be popularized to farmers are short-maturing and high-yielding, tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, highbiomass, drought-tolerant, submergence-tolerant, and salt-tolerant rice.

“We’ll make a model, make it work, and after a few years, once we see farmers benefitting, it will spread like fire,” said Gregorio. “Once the soil is rehabilitated, it will have health benefits. It will benefit all. We will use digital technology.

It’s a dream, but it’s reachable.”

In one technology to be adopted by the consortium, SEARCA has partnered with the UK- based Straw Innovation Ltd for the “Rice Straw Biogas Hub.” The project also involves UK SME Koolmill and UK academic partner Aston University.

The project solves the huge problem of disposing of rice straw which becomes a waste material from producing rice. An estimated 750 million metric tons (MT) of rice straw is produced yearly. To dispose of the waste, an estimated 300 million MT is burned. The remaining 400 MT is left to decay in the fields, emitting a huge amount of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide when emitted over 20 years, according to technology firm SIL. GHG emission is more than that of the entire global aviation industry.

However, SIL has developed a harvester enabling synchronous harvesting of both rice and rice straw. That omits the burning and disposal of much waste and significantly reduces GHG emissions.

Income for farmers is increased by 50 percent. The technology enables the production of fertilizer that stores carbon. The innovation brings jobs in rural areas, reduces post-harvest losses, and generates billions of dollars for the Philippines’ rice sector.

Other technologies to be popularized among Southeast Asian farmers are water-saving technologies like alternate wetting and drying of rice farms, soil, and nutrient management, and cropping and crop-animal system.

GHG-reducing soil and nutrient management techniques include nutrient-fixing legumes, chemical versus organic fertilizer, and methaneoxidating bacteria.

Cropping and crop animal systems that reduce GHG emissions include lowland agroforestry, crop-animal integration, and crop biomass and animal manure management.

The carbon farming system will improve the traceability of farms and agricultural products or the process by which market products at any stage in the supply chain can be traced to their origin. Such provides for food safety and transparency.