NORTHERN mindanao Agriculture department (DA-10) crafted several strategies to ensure local food supply and to reach its target of 94 percent sufficiency level in the face of a global health emergency, said Regional Executive Director Carlene Collado, said in a press statement Saturday.
“We target to contribute in increasing the 87 percent rice sufficiency level of the country," said Collado, adding that including the farm mechanization rate of 2.31 horsepower per hectare.
He said DA-10 is eyeing a 12 percent increase from its preceding year target with various mitigating programs implemented to boost rice production.
"The use of hybrid rice variety is among the important factors to achieve the target," according to Collado.
He said the DA-10 and Central Mindanao University (CMU) conducted on Friday the hybrid rice derby harvest festival in Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon to increase productivity and attain rice sufficiency.
"We are confronted with the dipping buying prices of palay, this hybrid rice derby is one of the answers to this challenge,” Collado said.
Collado, during the program conveyed the matter to the seven participating seed companies, SL Agritech, Bayer, Long Ping, Sygenta, Seedworks, Ramgo, and Bioseed.
Each seed company was allocated 5 hectares planted with their most leading varieties, using their own cultural practice protocol and the remaining 5 hectares were utilized and adopted to all entry varieties.
“Through this harvest festival, we will be able to come up with the result to further recommend to our farmers the best variety to use,” Collado added.
Earlier, DA-10 partnered with CMU for the 27-hectare hybrid rice derby which aims to increase national agri-fishery output, use of quality seeds, appropriate inputs and modern technologies.
Also DA’s Rice Resiliency Project (RRP), a quick response measure that addresses food security concerns amid the pandemic, focuses to intensify the campaign for the adoption of hybrid rice technology among local farmers.
Philippine Statistics Authority bared the region’s first semester palay production at 1.11 percent, both for rainfed and irrigated.
“We are the DA's partner in the development of enhancing food production in feeding the people,” CMU President Jesus Antonio G. Derije said.
CMU will continue to improve their production and the whole area will be utilized with DA’s partnership and the seed companies.
The hybrid rice derby harvest festival is fitting for this month’s celebration of National Rice Awareness Month, to highlight the theme, Grow local. Buy local. Eat local. Support our rice farmers. (Angie T. Cabig/DA-10)
