Promoting high-yielding, cost-reducing rice technologies

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BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Monday. September 25, 2017
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THE PHILIPPINE Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recently conducted a 10-day training of trainers for RiceBIS Community Program implementers at its Central Experiment Station in Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Rice Business Innovations Systems (Rice BIS) Community is designed not only to promote high-yielding and cost-reducing rice technologies but also to develop rice farmers’ linkages with business development service providers and rice buyers.

This is part of its new development program that aims to develop rice and rice-based enterprise models to enhance farmers’ income.

The 10-day training was participated in by 29 development staff from PhilRice branch stations in Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Central Experiment Station, Laguna, Mindoro, Albay, Negros Occidental, Agusan del Norte, and North Cotabato.

The training was carried out to enhance the participants’ knowledge and skills on rice production (emphasizing the PalayCheck System), rice processing, organization building, and enterprise development.

After the training, the participants are expected to implement the program in their respective assigned areas in Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Negros Occidental, Albay, Quezon, Agusan del Sur, and North Cotabato.

PhilRice also conducted a mind-setting exercise towards agripreneurship among the farmers of the Pinagbuklod na Adhika Credit Cooperative of Macarse of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, as part of its RiceBIS Community Program.

According to Dr. Ronan G. Zagado, PhilRice development communication specialist and the program campaign coordinator, RiceBIS is a new development program launched by PhilRice this year to help increase farmer’s yield, lower their production cost, and link them to business development service providers.

Zagado stressed that farmers’ mind-set on farming is generally production driven.

The mind-setting event was carried out to prepare and condition their hearts and minds towards agro-enterprise development with rice as the resource base.

“By agro-enterprise development, we want to teach farmers to be critical by asking not only ‘what to produce’ and ‘how to produce’, but also ‘what to sell’, ‘how to sell,’ and ‘to whom to sell,” Zagado said.

During the mind-setting event, a film showing inspiring stories of successful farmers opened the event.

Farmers’ social skills and familiarity to each other were then challenged in the next activity called the human bingo.

From its name, the activity is similar to the well-known game Bingo except that instead of the bingo balls’ numbers, what would fill in the bingo cards of the farmers are the signatures of their co-farmers.

“Getting to know more about the farmers in the cooperative will help them build a stronger cooperative,” said the campaign coordinator.

He added that a strong farmer-cooperative is necessary to achieve the program’s objectives as well as to ensure its sustainability.

The main part of the mind setting event was the activity called “Palay-isipan” where the farmers were asked about the RiceBIS program.

The activity aimed to increase the awareness of the farmers about the program and instil in their minds how the program can contribute to their farm productivity and profitability.

The event likewise introduced the Be Riceponsible campaign of PhilRice regarding the importance of the consumption of brown rice. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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