HYBRID RICE GROWS IN UPLANDS OF MINDANAO

A mechanized harvester will go through a small plot of about 500-meters which was planted 120 days ago to the modern hybrid rice variety, TH 82, a new rice variety developed by US Agriseeds which could be grown through dryseeding.

Unlike in other areas where upland rice farming depends on just natural precipitation, I utilized the modern pressurized irrigation and fertigation system technology of Israel in providing water through a sprinkler system.

I do not expect the yield to be dramatic as the demo farm, being the only one in the area, naturally attracted bugs, insects and later, riceeating birds like Maya.

Regardless of the yield, the Upland Hybrid Rice Harvest today is considered a major breakthrough in the country’s rice production program as this could open windows of opportunity for poor farming families who own farms in the uplands of Mindanao to plant hybrid rice.

While I started this project as a personal initiative, I asked the Philippine Rice Research Institute and my agency, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to document to whole process to determine the cost effectiveness of the project.

At least 12 other demo farms have been opened in other parts of Mindanao to serve as a learning site for farmers with the support of Seedworks Philippines, the Local Government Units and the private partners and farmers.

Once again, it is proven that with a little imagination and hardwork, the country could easily achieve food self-sufficiency and end dependence on foreign food importation.

Earlier, a group of Ilocano farmers in Matalam, North Cotabato showed that with the modern Solar-Powered Irrigation System they increased their harvest from once to thrice a year and their yield from 3 metric tons to 21 metric tons per hectare.