DA-6 chief urges farmers to use hybrid seeds
Producing 7.0 metric tons per hectare is very attainable when one uses hybrid seeds. This is proven at the farm of Dir. Larry P. Nacionales during the harvest festival conducted September 9, 2009 at Tagbac Norte, Oton, Iloilo. The director uses PHB71 of the Pioneer Seed Company.
PHB71 is early maturing compared to other rice varieties. It is resistant to rice blast disease and has high milling and head rice recovery. PHB71 has good eating quality.
Dir. Nacionales does not only teach the right technology on rice production but has also shown that using hybrid seeds increases one’s yield.
Nacionales acknowledged the role of the private sector in attaining rice sufficiency in the country considering that rice is the number one commodity of Western Visayas.
He urged the local government units to continuously deliver technical services and information dissemination to our farmers for they are the front liners in extension.
The director reported that Western Visayas ranked second in rice production in the whole country, next to Central Luzon.
Nacionales said that the region’s yield performance on rice production was 3.10 metric tons per hectare in 2008.
The demo farm of Dir. Nacionales is one (1) hectare and he uses five (5) bags only at 5 kg/ bag.
Nacionales also announced that this dry cropping season of 2009, there is a 50-50 scheme on seed subsidy. The National Food Authority is the implementing agency of the seed subsidy. As regards to hybrid rice, when one can plant up to September 15, the subsidy from the government is P1, 500.00.
In cluster areas of at least 60 hectares, all hybrid seeds will be paid by the DA but farmers must follow synchronous planting. (TAG/DA-RAFID6)