ILOILO City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 introduced six recommended hybrid rice varieties through the establishment of a 100-hectare clustered demonstration farm under its Community Hybrid Rice Model Farm (CHRMF) project in Calinog, Iloilo.
Apart from demonstrating the clustering strategy for production, harvesting, processing, and marketing, the CHRMF project aims to generate data that will encourage the adoption of preferred hybrid rice varieties, technologies and management techniques.
According to DA-6 Agriculturist II Karen Mae Hipolito, some 105 farmer cooperators enrolled in the government’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and members of 12 farmers associations (FAs) were tapped in the project.
With the support of the Municipal Agriculture Office of Calinog, the DA-6 implemented its hybrid rice derby project in the 100-hectare contiguous area involving the barangay FAs of Badlan Grande, Badu, Impalidan, Cabagiao, Camalongo, Canabajan, Gama Grande, Guiso, Malitbog, Maspasan, and Nalbugan.
A total of 141 kilograms of hybrid seeds varieties, namely, Long Ping 937, Hatao Liksi, Jackpot, Bigante Plus, and SL 19 were distributed among the farmer beneficiaries. They broadcasted the seeds directly using a granular applicator at 20 kilograms per hectare seeding rate, manual transplanting at 18 kilograms per hectare, and using a ride-on type transplanter at 15 kilograms per hectare.
Aside from hybrid seeds, DA also provided P147,753.00-worth fertilizer vouchers and technical assistance through farmers’ field schools to ensure that farmers employ the recommended rice production techniques necessary to boost their palay production volume.
In the field day held recently, most farmer cooperators said they preferred planting SL 19 and Jackpot hybrid rice varieties based on the standing crop, the number of tillers, and projected output.
Hipolito said that the DA-6 is implementing the same project in Banga, Aklan; Hamtic, Antique; Cuartero, Capiz; and Sibunag, Guimaras, during the wet and dry cropping seasons of 2022-2023. Cadiz City and Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental are the additional sites for the CHRMF project beginning this second cropping. (PIA-6)/PN
