Farmers’ groups in Central Luzon favor the use of hybrid rice varieties so the country can attain its goal for rice sufficiency.

Ricardo Buenaventura, chairperson of the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Talavera town, Nueva Ecija province, said on Thursday they fully support the move of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to promote the use of hybrid rice varieties to help increase crop production.

He noted that more farmers are now using hybrid rice seeds that enable them to harvest more and earn higher profits compared to traditional rice seeds.

“The planting of hybrid is not selective as long it suits the farmers’ area and the season,” he said in a local news report in Filipino.

Buenaventura likewise said they are happy with the move of the Department of Agriculture to plant hybrid seeds in 1.5 million hectares of land across the country.

“We are happy to be part of the program that will plant hybrid seeds to 1.5 million agricultural lands wherein big percentage is from Central Luzon, particularly in Nueva Ecija,” he said in Filipino.

Other farmers’ group leaders in the region who expressed full support to the rice hybrid program include Petronilo Ucol, chairman of the Panabingan Multi-Purpose Cooperative of San Antonio town, Nueva Ecija and Alfredo Magdangal, overall president of the irrigators’ association in Tarlac province.

Meanwhile, Dr. Frisco Malabanan, former science research specialist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute and technical and promotion support consultant of the SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC), said hybrid rice technology gives good yields and income to the farmers.

“Once the target production area has been planted with hybrid rice, the desire of President Marcos’ rice sufficiency will be achieved,” he said in Filipino.

Based on the DA’s study, the hybrid system has given 41 percent better yield than inbred conventional seeds over the past years.

Hybrid farmers have reported harvesting 7 to 15 metric tons (MT) per hectare, higher than the average 3.6 MT/hectare for inbred seeds.

CURRENTPH NEWS SERVICE