DA 6 to intensify hybrid rice production
The Department of Agriculture, RFU 6 will intensify hybrid rice production among compact rice cluster areas this coming wet season to cope with the production losses brought by the long dry spell or El Niño in the region.
Director Larry P. Nacionales said that using hybrid seeds will significantly increase yield per hectare compared to using inbred seeds. It must be noted that hybrid rice varieties can produce an average yield of 4.7mt to 8.0mt per hectare while inbred rice varieties can only produce 2.3mt to 4mt per hectare.
“We are now ensuring the availability of hybrid and certified seeds requirement of Western Visayas as early as of this time for us to be ready to provide our farmers the seeds they need at the onset of the wet season cropping,” Nacionales added.
The DA-RFU 6 has conducted seven hybrid rice compact technology demonstration farms to showcase the potential and different hybrid rice varieties to the farmers. These techno-demo farms were situated at Brgy. Bungca, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo; Sta. Barbara, Iloilo; Dumalag, Capiz; Malinao and Tangalan, Aklan and brgy. Capoyuan, Barbaza, Antique. It was observed that farmer-cooperators of these techno-demo farms got an average yield of 5.2mt/ha.
Hybrid rice also commands good price because of its aroma, long grain and good eating quality. Mr. Eladio O. Magtulis of barangay Capoyuan, Barbaza, Antique testified that using hybrid seeds increases his production by four percent with the application of PalayCheck technology while Mr. Benhur Salvador another hybrid rice farmer-cooperator stressed that he would always plant hybrid seeds even if it entails high production inputs because high yield and production can also be expected.
