Bicol is 2012 top organic rice producer in the country -- DA

By Aida A. Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, April 23 (PIA) -- The Bicol region is the top organic rice producer in the country last year. It contributed 74 percent to total organic palay production in the country from January to September.

Department of Agriculgture-5 information officer Jayson Gonzales said during the “Aramon Ta Daw” radio program of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bicol that Bicol also accounts for the 44 percent of the country’s organic crop production last year.

“Our country is aiming not only to be rice self-sufficient but a net rice exporter this year,” Gonzales said.

The year 2013 is declared as the National Year of Rice by President Benigno Aquino through Proclamation No. 494 signed in October 18, 2012 with the DA as lead agency in the campaign together with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). “The theme for this campaign is – Sapat na Bigas, Kaya sa Pinas! (Sufficient Rice, The Philippines Can!)” Gonzales said.

Meanwhile, the Pecuaria Development Cooperative, Incorporated (PDCI) based in Bula, Camarines Sur is chosen together with four others as certified organic partners of the DA for its project for the development of national organic rice seed production systems with the informal sector. PDCI is the leading single producer of organic rice in the Bicol Region.

According to the DA, the other four certified organic farms are the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija, Kahariam Realty and Farms, Incorporated in Batangas, the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation, Incorporated and the Bios Dynamis in South Cotabato.

PDCI is maintaining a more than 800 hectare Pecuaria Rice Central in Bula, Camarines Sur with a 100 hectare demo farm. It cultivates organic aromatic rice varieties such as JM 2, Basmati and MS 16 together with traditional varieties such as RC 18 and RC 160, according to the DA.

The seeds produced from the Pecuaria’s techno-demo farm will be distributed by the DA as starter seeds to farmers who are engaged in aromatic rice production, according to the DA. (MAL/JJPerez/PIA5-Albay)


2 spoonfuls of rice saved daily can feed 2M Filipinos every year - DA


 LEGAZPI CITY, April 23 (PIA) -- If you habitually throw away left over rice every meal, think again.

“The importance of rice is being highlighted today with the declaration of President Aquino of 2013 as the National Year of Rice,” DA Information Officer Jayson Gonzales said in an interview during the “Aramon Daw” radio program of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bicol.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced the recent findings of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) study that every Filipino wastes an average of two tablespoons daily or nine grams of raw rice everyday that can feed about two million poor Filipinos in a year.

With the campaign theme “Sapat na Bigas, Kaya sa Pinas! (Sufficient Rice, The Philippines Can!),” President Benigno Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 494 in October 18, 2012 assigning DA as lead agency in the campaign together with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

“The DA targets rice self-sufficiency before the end of this year by implementing a medium term agricultural and fishery sector mechanization and modernization that commenced in 2011 and to be implemented until 2016,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that PhilRice is also developing a high-yielding rice and cost-reducing technologies for farmers in response to the same target of rice self-sufficiency of the country by end of 2013 and further augmented by increases in nationwide palay production over the past 12 years.

“The government is shifting from traditional to mechanized farming to increase agricultural productivity to keep pace with the farm input capability of other rice producing Asian nations,” Gonzales said. Rice output and other crops also improved through irrigation projects and promotion of better certified seeds, Gonzalez said.

“We are conducting an activity called ‘Usapang Palay’ (Rice Talks) together with the local government units to disseminate technologies and provide farmers updates on DA programs and projects,” Gonzales said. It is an interactive activity with farmers to clarify issues and get their feedbacks on various agricultural concerns in line with the Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Program (FSSP), Gonzales said. (MAL/JJPerez/PIA5-Albay)