CAGAYAN AND ISABELAFARMERS TO CONTINUEPLANTING HYBRID RICE

VOL. 3 NO. 19 PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY SL AGRITECH CORP. NOV-DEC 2010

20 hybrid rice farmers’ average

yield: 250 cavans/hec.Page 7

Wasteful rice consumption costs us $210-M yearly

Page 4

Gov't urged to act fast in support of hybrid rice sector

Page 3

Electrification:Most significant sign

of rural progressPage 9

(Turn to page 4)

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- Rice farmers in Cagayan and Isabela who were adjudged win-ners in the “Search for Hybrid Rice Highest Yielder,” said that while planting hybrid rice is a little more expensive than plant-ing the traditional seed (inbred) variety, “we will nevertheless continue producing this new rice technology as it increases more than three times our production and income.”

“Itong klaseng palay (hy-brid) ang lagi na naming tina-tanim dahil dito namin nakita at napatunayan na talagang malaki ang aming nagiging produksyon

During a visit to a ready-to-harvest SL-8H hybrid rice at a farm in Nueva Ecija.(Turn to page 5)

Jesus Tanchanco, former food minister and administrator of the National Food Authority

Hybrid rice technology is key to self-sufficiency

“Typhoon Ondoy came dev-astating hundreds of thousands of ricelands and what does the government do to remedy the situ-ation, resort to importation. When the rice production is below the demand, what does the govern-ment do but import once again. Year in and year out, the statistics on rice importation grows and it seems that the country is married to this solution: rice importation,” he said.

This should not be the case, according to him. He said the

(NFA) said the problem on rice self-sufficiency almost al-ways crop out and the usual solu-tion that the government undertakes to solve the problem hinges on importa-tion.

Under a partnership agree-ment signed recently with SL Agritech, Vietnam will also be-come a production site for SL Ag-ritech’s SL-8H super hybrid rice seeds variety. Its other production sites are in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Vietnam is 4th Asian countryto adopt RP rice technology

By SANNY GALVEZ

LIM

Vietnam, one the world’s riches agricultural regions and the world’s seventh largest consumer of rice, will be the 4th Asian country to adopt the hybrid rice technology of SL Agritech Corp., a Makati City-based firm engaged in the production of hybrid rice seeds.

Henry Lim, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of SL Agritech Corp., said the transaction was pursuant to the agreement entered into by his firm and Dai Thanh Agritech Seed Co. of Vietnam.

The accord calls for SL Ag-ritech to initially ship sometime early next year, 60 tons of its SL-8H super hybrid rice seeds to Vietnam. The second shipment of 300 tons will be a year after, then another 500 until they reach 2,000 tons.

Weijun Xu, SL Agritech’s vice president for external affairs, was in Vietnam recently to observe rice production. He reported that with intermediate plant height, big panicle and medium maturity, not to mention its good tolerance against pest and diseases, “SL-8H super hybrid rice is gaining wide

(Turn to page 5)

TANCHANCO

GINTONG BUTIL NOV-DEC 20102

NFA abolition is notthe right answer

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “Stop focusing on importing more rice and instead focus on

self-sufficiency.” – Senator Edgardo Angara, former agriculture secretary.

-o0o-“While there is P23 billion allotted for dole-outs to indigent fami-

lies in the President’s proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 national budget, there are no funds allotted to electrify rural communities.” – Nueva Ecija Rep. Carlos Padilla

-o0o-“Hybrid rice technology is the best technology that can make

the Philippines self-sufficient in the staple.” – Dr. Weijun Xu, former rice scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

-o0o-This publication is five years old this month. Parang kailan lang

nang inanyayahan ako noon ni Mr. Henry Lim, the big boss of SL Agritech Corp., to manage it. Mahirap pero okey lang.

Okey ang plano niya to increase the number of copies from its present 10,000 to 30,000 to reach, he said, “a large number of our target audience.”

-o0o-Coming out every other month since 2005, copies are distributed

free among rice farmers nationwide through the firm’s provincial and regional offices. Copies also filter into various government agencies and offices involved in agriculture.

This (copy) is the “new” Gintong Butil. The “old” GB, which I also managed for 13 long years, was that published in 1973 until 1986 by the National Food Authority (NFA). Coming out monthly on a trimmed-size 12-page 12” x 18” format, it also has two main sections – English and Tagalog. Its circulation: 50,000 copies.

golden grainsanny galvez

The “old” one was winner of various journalism awards, among them the prestigious Anvil Awards given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) as “Most Outstanding External News Publication” and the Binhi Awards given (three times) by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ), as “The Best Agricultural Newspaper of the Year.”

Lest I forget, million thanks sa lahat ng aking mga kaibigang manunulat na walang sawang tumutulong sa akin kapag ako ay nangailangan sa kanila ng storya o artikulo na may kaugnayan sa pagsasaka – Rudy Fernandez and Rose de la Cruz ng Philippine Star, Eli Cinco, columnist ng Manila Bulletin; Anselmo Roque ng Philippine Daily Inquirer; Jenny Ng, Business Mirror, ang pumalit sa akin bilang presidente ng Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ); at Conrad Carino ng Manila Times.

-o0o-I had a short talk over the phone with Mr. Jesus Tanchanco, our

former boss at the National Food Authority (NFA). Medyo may hinanakit siya sa mga balitang lumabas kamakailan coming from some government “geniuses” who were suggesting the abolition of the agency.

“It is not the right answer. It is not the solution. If the govern-ment is hell-bent to abolish or privatize it, so be it, but let us first conduct an indepth study on the matter, especially as regards its effects on the farmers in particular and the consumers in general,” he said.

“In fact, we should even consider taking a more serious look at this sector if government wants to strengthen the agency as an institution and promote and sustain economic growth,” he stressed.

He said the NFA, which is the government’s marketing arm for rice, must succeed in its work of alleviating the plight of the country’s farmers who constitute the mass base of the Philippine society.

Habol pa niya: “The governments in Asian countries are heavily subsidizing the operations of their cereal agencies as part of their social responsibility to stabilize rice supply and prices. Milyong-milyon salapi ang kanilang ginagastos taon-taon para matulungan ang kanilang mga magsasaka at mamamayan.

Eh tayo?STAFF

SANNY GALVEZEditor

JOSEPHINE E. DUNGCA Managing Editor

Contributing Writers:Rudy A. Fernandez

Jennifer NgViktor Peñas Carlo CaluagPhotographers

Carmina Cruz Jivin Relato

Graphic Artists

Gintong Butil is published bi-monthly by SL Agritech Corp., a division of Sterling Group of Companies, with editorial andbusiness offices at 2302 Sterling Place, Pasong Tamo Ext.,

Makati City. Telefax No. 810-1604

Conrad CariñoAnselmo Roque

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is promoting November as “National Rice Awareness Month” with the theme “weRice.”

“weRice” encourages the rice-eating public to rise from conserving rice, better nutrition through brown rice, and with increased income from rice farming.

“This is congruent with the goals of PhilRice’s corpo-rate strategic plan aimed to attain and sustain rice self-sufficiency and reducing poverty and malnutrition,” Dr. Ronilo Beronio, PhilRice Executive Director, said.

PhilRice, which will celebrate its silver anniversary on Nov. 3-5, recently elevated its responsibilities by adopting “Rice Science for Development (S4D)” as its battle-cry to promoting development in the countryside. (RAF)

November is 'National Rice Awareness Month'

The PAJ story is worth telling and retellingThe Philippine Agricultural Journal-

ists (PAJ), organized in 1976 by a group of agricultural journalists, is 34 years old last Sept. 23. It is probably the oldest press organization in the country next to the National Press Club (NPC).

The PAJ story is one that is worth telling and retelling, according to Rudy Fernandez of the Philippine Star who has been a director of the group for quite a number of years now.

It is the story, he said, “of pen-wielding men and women who have blended to-gether in the common effort to expunge a disconcerting paradox that has character-ized Philippine society for decades.”

The paradox is this, he said: “Although the Philippines is basically an agricultural country, agriculture is one of the most neg-lected segments of the national economy.”

Too often in the past -- and even today,

he said, lip-service was all that the agricul-ture sector got: “the farmers are the backbone of the nation;” “from now on agriculture will be the centerpiece of the national develop-ment program;” “agriculture will be the main component of the country’s national economic recovery program.”

"Great words indeed!" he said.Within the period from its inception to

the present, the PAJ has worked seriously on various projects aimed at gaining for itself stability and respect of its peers in journal-ism. It has likewise not gone slack in pursuing its role as the medium that links the farmers to the government for the improvement of agriculture.

One of its projects which it started 33 years ago which has done a lot of infusing the much-needed spirit into agricultural journal-ism is the holding of the annual Binhi Awards writing contest aimed to foster greater

professionalism, commitment and depth among agricultural journalists. It is today considered the most sought-after awards by agricultural writers who, in not only projecting Philippine agriculture, garner the prestige that goes with the awards.

The PAJ has many other on-going projects, among them conducting agricul-tural forums and educational field trips, all geared towards strengthening the agri-cultural journalism profession.

Jenny Ng of the Business Mirror who covers the agriculture beat, is the group’s current president. Its former presidents include Roman Floresca and Mary Ann L. Reyes of the Philippine Star; Michael Alunan and this writer, both formerly with the Manila Bulletin, Ruben Pascual, Jesus Espinosa and the late Ching Ilagan. (SANNY GALVEZ)

Local hybrid seed grower, SL Agritech, founded by Henry Lim, is asking the Aquino administra-tion to act fast in supporting the hybrid rice industry or else lose again its opportunity to be a domi-nant supplier in the global market against Asian neighbors like Indo-nesia, Cambodia and Bangladesh or even Africa which are currently using its technology massively.

Lim said inconsistent policies in the past administration in grant-ing seed subsidies and irrigation support has led to the slow deve-lopment of the industry in the past decade. “We can’t afford to lose

another six years, otherwise we will be outpaced by the countries that are currently importing the technology from us and propagat-ing it massively in their farms,” Lim said.

Local rice farmers are slowly adapting but they need govern-ment support since majority of them have no financial capability to adapt to modern farming tech-nology, he added.

A recent survey by the De-partment of Agriculture (DA) showed that farmers need assis-tance from government thru seed subsidy and irrigation, the two

most important components to achieve bountiful harvest.

For several years now, the use of hybrid rice technology has been

shown to be effective in doubling or tripling farm yields to as high as 17 tons per hectare against the certified

(Turn to page 7)

GINTONG BUTILNOV-DEC 2010 3

Gov't urged to act fast in support of hybrid rice sector

By ROSE DE LA CRUZ

FARMERS NEED ASSISTANCE THRU SEED SUBSIDY & IRRIGATION

GINTONG BUTIL NOV-DEC 20104

Wasteful rice consumption costs us $210 million yearly – PhilRice

By RUDY A. FERNANDEZ

LOS BANOS, Laguna – The Philippines can save as much as $210 million per year if Filipinos can do away with their wasteful ways of eating cooked rice.

Each Filipino wastes three tablespoons of cooked rice ev-eryday, according to the Depart-ment of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice).

BERONIO

PhilRice, whose central ex-periment station and main offices are situated in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, is DA’s rice research arm. It was established in 1985 primarily to develop high-yielding rice varieties and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

“If rice is not wasted, import savings can reach up to P9.63 billion,” said Executive Director Ronilo Beronio, the third to serve as the institute’s top official. The first executive director was Dr. Santiago R. Obien, followed by Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian.

“This waste, on the aggre-gate scale, easily translates into 480,000 tons of raw rice per year. Given a per capita consump-tion of 112 kilos per year, this wastage can feed 4.3 million hungry Filipinos in a year,” said

Beronio, the first employee of the institute when it was established in 1985.

As part of the government’s campaign to save rice, PhilRice encourages Filipino households to cook rice just enough for the family and not to over-wash rice before cooking it to cut wastage and control loss of nutrients.

Statistics show that Filipinos are eating more rice.

“This, in the face of shrink-ing farmlands set against the grim backdrop of an exploding population, makes the goal of attaining self-sufficiency in rice very difficult.

The Aquino administration is aiming to realize self-sufficiency in rice in three years.

In 2001, per capita rice con-sumption was placed at 106 kg/yr. In 2004, it was recorded at 109 kg/year and projected to reach 115 kg/year by 2005.

Some published reports state that the current per capita con-sumption is much more.

This makes the Philippines one of the world’s biggest rice-consuming countries, according to statistics compiled by the Asia Rice Foundation (ARF). It is also at present the world’s biggest rice importer.

Myanmar is the biggest rice-eating country, 195 kg/yr, followed by Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 160 k/yr.

On the other hand, although rice production in the Philip-pines has consistently increased over the years, in fact chalking

up a record 7.3 percent increase in 2004, demand continues to outstrip supply because of the

rapid population growth. There are many more than 90 million Filipinos today.

at kinikita,” they said during a “Partnership Forum” held over the weekend at Hotel Roma in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

Ferdinand Melchor bested 47 other hybrid rice farmers in the region who participated in the “Search” chalking up a total of 237 cavans per hectare. The average yield per hectare of the other participating farmers who also planted the SL-8H hybrid seeds variety, was 230 cavans.

Sponsored by SL Agritech Corp., the affair was attended by provincial officials of Cagayan and Isabela, among them Malig

(From page 1)

Cagayan & Isabela farmersto continue planting hybrid...

Mayor Pedro Flores, Quezon Vice Mayor Jimmy Gamazon and Municipal Administrator Andres Vicente of Roxas, Isabela.

Dr. Mildred Abella and Danilo Tumamao, Cagayan and Isabela provincial agriculturists, respectively, were also present during the occasion.

In his brief talk, Henry Lim, chairman and CEO of SL Agritech Corp. which is sponsoring the “Search” in practically every prov-ince, commended hybrid rice farmers present who, he said, “are receptive in adopting modern farm technologies and practices.”

“Binabati ko kayong lahat sa inyong paniniwala at pagtang-gap ng katotohanang ang pagtatanim ng hybrid rice ang tunay na makapagpapalaki at makapag-aangat ng inyo-inyong kabuhayan. Hindi lamang kayo ang nakapagpatunay nito kundi libo-libo na ring magsasaka sa buong bansa ang sumang-ayon sa paniniwalang ito,” Lim said, as he pledged to continue helping the farmers maximize their rice yield and income through hybrid rice technology.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Regions I, II, III, IV-B and VIII top the list of hybrid rice planting. The top five provinces planting hybrid rice are Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan and Leyte.

GINTONG BUTILNOV-DEC 2010 5

Hybrid rice technology is key to self-sufficiency

acceptability from local farmers.”Weijun, a former rice sci-

entist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), said he has without a doubt that Vietnam, also the world’s second largest rice exporter, “is a big market for SL-8H super hybrid rice seeds in the near future.”

Vietnam is 4th Asian countryto adopt RP rice technology

(From page 1)

According to him, Asian countries are cultivating a total of 52 million hectares of rice land. Indonesia, he said, has 11 million hectares; Bangladesh has 10 mil-

lion; Vietnam, seven; and Myan-mar, six, while the Philippines has only three. China and India have 42 and 32 million hectares of rice lands, respectively.

Lim said “before they (In-donesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria and Vietnam) signed agreements with us to adopt our hybrid rice technology and become our production sites for our SL-8H hybrid seeds, they first conducted several field trials and the results, as they have said, were ‘very encouraging.”

Nigeria, considered the most populated country in Africa with 140 million people, has likewise

shown its interest to adopt the SL Agritech rice technology when it signed early this year an agree-ment with the firm for the supply of its high-yielding SL-8H super hybrid rice seeds variety.

Cambodia and Burma have earlier sent feelers signifying their intention to also use the same technology of SL Agritech to meet their growing demand for rice.

Indonesia, with a population of 230 million and one of the world’s biggest rice-consuming countries, envisions to plant up to five million hectares of hybrid rice in the next five years, Lim said.

(From page 1)

The Philippines would do wellto take a cue from China whose

ricelands are mostly planted to hybrid rice. With over 1.3 billion people to feed, China is not only self-sufficient in rice

but is also a big exporter of the cereal to other countries.

government has to come up with a long-lasting solution to the problem of rice self-sufficiency. “There is a need to really ensure that our country has enough of the staple food on the table without having to buy from other countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand.”

He said when the government resorts to rice imports, it does so at the risk of losing its focus on food security.

“For the continued importa-tion of rice demeans the country’s resolve to get out of the vicious cycle of low rice yields. In effect, the country is subsidizing the business of the rice farmers in Vietnam and Thailand and other countries from where the Philip-pines buy its rice requirements,” he pointed out.

Tanchanco said that more than the loss of precious foreign exchange, the continued importa-tion of rice gnaws of the country’s self-worth.

“How come the country, host to the famed International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), cannot come up with a program to see to it that the rice farmers have plen-tiful harvest of this staple food?” he asked.

The IRRI, he said, turns up rice experts from Thailand, Viet-nam and other countries “and yet the host nation cannot even go so far as to ensure food security via the production of enough rice to feed its 97 million population.”

“This is what is at the heart of the problem on rice self-suffi-ciency. The Philippines can turn out experts on rice and yet be enable to have its own experts to solve the problem. It is on this is-sue that my heart breaks for it is something close to my heart hav-ing been at one time, in charge of the country’s attempts to become self-sufficient in rice,” he said.

According to him, the im-portant thing is that there is now a solution – and a long-lasting one – on the problem of rice im-portation.

“I refer to the production of hybrid rice. To my mind, hybrid rice constitutes the single most viable solution to the problem of rice self-sufficiency. With it, the country’s rice farmers will benefit from increased rice yields and forthwith improve their status in life,” he stressed.

He said the Philippines would do well to take a cue from China whose ricelands are mostly plant-ed to hybrid rice. With over 1.3 billion people to feed, China, he said, is not only self-sufficient in rice “the same way we success-fully did more than 20 years ago.”

All that is needed, he said, is for the government to adopt the hybrid rice technology.

GINTONG BUTIL NOV-DEC 20106

PAYUMO

Twenty hybrid rice farmers from Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zamboanga del Sur, North Cotabato, Camarines Sur and Oriental and Occidental Mindoro have scored unprecedented records in rice production never before achieved by any farmer planting the traditional or inbred rice variety.

Their average production per hectare using the SL-8H hybrid rice seeds is 250 cavans. Highest was 345.6 cavans produced last year’s dry cropping season by Severino Payumo, a 69-year-old farmer of barangay Biliran in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

Payumo broke the record of 345 cavans per hectare harvested in 2009 by lady farmer Aida Badong of San Nicolas, Camarines Sur.

Fernando Gabuyo, also of Nueva Ecija, has a record harvest of 335 cavans per hectare, followed by Freddie Dalisay of Occidental Mindoro with 291.40.

Severino Velasquez, another farmer from Nueva Ecija, is fifth in the list of the country’s top hybrid

20 HYBRID RICE FARMERS’ AVERAGE HARVEST: 250 CAVANS PER HECTARENEVER BEFORE ACHIEVED BY INBRED RICE FARMERS

rice yielder with a record of 280.47 cavans per hectare.

The 15 other hybrid rice farm-ers are Ricardo Buenaventura (Nueva Ecija), 266.23 cavans per hectare; Alfredo Domingo (Isa-bela), 260; Ramil Jimenez (Oc-cidental Mindoro), 258; Michael

Viduya and Edward Importante (Occidental Mindoro), 250 and 236 cavans, respectively; Domi-nador Mariano (Tarlac), 256.97; Ronald Macalma (Ilocos Norte), 251; Leoncio Balasbas (Zambo-anga del Sur), 217; Hilario Lac-aste (Pangasinan). 214; Roge-lio

Gov't urged to act fast in support...

Penticostes (Pangasinan), 210; Marino Fugata (North Cotabato), 210; Crispin Sunio (Cagayan), 208; Willie Dulay (Tarlac), 207; Gerardo Cantos (Oriental Mindoro), 206; and Feliciano Biagtan (Panga-sinan), 205 cavans per hectare.

inbred seeds’ output of four to five tons per hectare.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has said that the govern-ment will deemphasize the use of hybrid rice varieties and promote on an equal basis the use of certi-fied inbred seeds.

“Continuous use of certified seeds will not bring us to the rice sufficiency level that we need. It will necessitate an expansion of our available rice land, which we no longer have,” Lim said.

Expanding the irrigation fa-cilities, not to mention the gargan-tuan sums needed to support such infrastructure, will take several years to materialize, he added.

“Obviously, the only imme-

(From page 3)

diate solution available to us to achieve rice sufficiency in the next three years is the use of hybrid rice seeds technology. But we need the government to have a focused and sincere plan so that farmers will be encouraged to adapt,” Lim said.

According to him, his com-pany is now exporting its seeds to Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Africa. “If the government won’t act now and adapt this tech-nology, it will not be surprising later for us to be importing rice from these same countries.”

SL Agritech’s SL-8H seeds variety is registered internation-ally in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. By 2011, it will receive

its international registry in Myan-mar for the parent stocks. SL-8H seeds’ exports have risen from 50 tons in the beginning to 1,000 tons of the las t shipment to Indonesia. A ton of parental seeds is enough for 30 to 40 hectares of hybrid rice seeds to be produced.

Importing countries have their own production of hybrid rice seeds but these are not enough to meet their requirements, which is why they import from the Phil-ippines. The only other country that could produce seeds in excess of local requirement is China, where it originated. (Reprinted from the Philippine Star)

GINTONG BUTILNOV-DEC 2010 7

GINTONG BUTIL NOV-DEC 20108

SL-8 CALENDAR(DONA MARIA RICE)

GINTONG BUTILNOV-DEC 2010 9

The grains industry for one, is largely dependent on electric-ity. Grains driers, mills, grains processing equipment and grains warehouses can not do without electricity. It is the same with the other industries.

Dr. Santiago Obien, former executive director of the Phi-lippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), said electrically-driven irrigation pumps should be installed in rural areas of the country to help rice and veg-etable farmers irrigate their farm-lands “which, to me, is a definite example of the economic impact of electricity in our barrios.”

“Ang rural electrification sa bansa ay hindi lamang para mailawan ang mga tahanan kundi para lalu pang mapalaki ang aanihing palay at mga gu-lay na tinatanim ng ating mga magsasaka thru power-driven machines and equipment. Sa area

ELECTRIFICATIONMOST SIGNIFICANT SIGN OF RURAL PROGRESS

The most significant sign of rural progress is elec-trification. Electrification projects are a big push to the country’s economic development because they do not only provide lighting for the rural areas but also electric power needed to generate machineries used in various industries and the much-needed irrigation systems throughout the country.

halimbawa ng rice and corn mill-ing lalu na kung nagkakaroon

ng mga brownout o power out-ages, milyon-milyong piso ang nawawala o nalulugi sa mga may

ari nito. In short, almost every-thing freezes without electricity,” he said in an interview.

“Ang rural electrification ay isa lamang sa malaking pa-ngangailangan sa agrikultura na dapat pagtuunan ng malaking

pansin ng pamahalaan if we are to fully develop the industry,” he said, adding that with sufficient electricity in the rural areas, “we could be able to engage in vari-ous food production programs to bolster our counrtry’s efforts aimed at food sufficiency.”

Nueva Ecija Rep. Carlos Padilla and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone have disputed the claim recently made by Energy Secretary Rene Almendras that

99 percent of barangays nation-wide have access to electricity.

According to Evardone, who was former governor of his province, only 80 percent of Eastern Samar has electric-ity. Padilla has asked Congress

to allocate P1 billion for rural electrification, He said in his province alone, there are still many barangays that do not have electricity.

Padilla lamented that while there is P23 billion allotted for dole-outs to indigent families in the President’s proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 national budget, there are no funds al-lotted to electrify rural com-munities.

'Ang rural electrification ay isa lamang sa malaking

pangangailangan sa agrikultura na dapat

pagtuunan ng malaking pansin ng pamahalaan

if we are to fully develop the industry.'

DR. OBIEN

By SANNY GALVEZ

GINTONG BUTIL NOV-DEC 201010

GINTONG BUTILNOV-DEC 2010 11

Farmers' day at caravan, ginanap bilang pasasalamat sa malaking ani

Dr. Santiago Obien, dating direc-tor ng Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

Dalawang libong ektarya ang kanilang nataniman ng SL-8H at dito’y nakapag-ani sila ng humigit-kumulang o average na 155 kabanes kada ektarya.

“Hamak laki itong inani naming ito kumpara sa dati nam-

(Mula sa pahina 12)ing produksyon kung tag-ulan sa pagtatanim namin ng tinatawag ng inbred variet,” ayon sa kanila..

“Napakalaking pasasalamat namin una sa Panginoon at pan-galawa sa aming butihin alkalde na si Gng. Navarro na buong puso kaming tinulungan sa aming mga pangangailangan,” dugtong pa nla.

Talavera, Nueva Ecija.Sinabi ni Buenaventura na

ang kanyang mga miyembro sa kooperatiba ay mula sa bayan ng San Isidro, Aliaga, Sto. Do-mingo, Talavera at Llanera, at ito ay binubuo ng mahigit 1,000 miyembro.

May kabuuang 1,500 ektary-ang lupa ang kanilang pinatatani-man ng SL-8H hybrid rice.

Ang ilang farmer-leader na kasanib sa Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative, na amin ding nakausap tungkol sa pagkakaalis ng nasabing sabsidi-ya ay sina Benito C. Bayudan. Julio Cabiling, Eddie Rivera at Jemeno Garcia.

Nagpahayag din sila ng pagkalungkot sa pagkakaalis ng

MGA MAGSASAKA, PATULOY NA MAGTATANIM NG HYBRID RICE

(Mula sa pahina 12)

nasabing sabsidiya, na ayon sa kanila, “ay biglaan ang pagka-katanggal at wala man lamang babala o pasabi.”

“Katulad nga na amin nang napagkasunduan dito sa aming samahang kooperatiba, ipagpa-patuloy namin ang pagtatanim ng hybrid rice dahil dito kami naniniwala na ito ang makapag-papalaki ng aming aanihing palay,” sabi ni Bayudan.

Sabi pa ni Buenaventura na “dahil sa pangyayaring ito, naniniwala kami na sa pama-magitan ng aming kooperatiba, magkakatulong-tulong kami para lalu pang maiangat ang aming layuning mapagtagumpayan ang ano mang balakid na aming kakaharapin.”

'Ipagpapatuloy namin ang pagtatanim ng

hybrid rice dahil dito kami naniniwala na ito ang makapagpa-

palaki ng aming aanihing palay.'

SA KABUKIRANNi JOH DUNGCA

rice. Tumanggap siya ng pangalawang gan-timpala mula sa SL Agritech sa pag-ani niya ng 154 cabanes kada ektarya.

Ang magsasakang si Osias Ocon ng Barangay Buhing Kalipay ang nagkapagtala ng pinakamataas na ani -- 162 cabanes kada ektarya. Ang pangatlo ay si Pegeno Villar, 152; Ismael Macalos, 150 at Elmar Salado na nakapag-ani ng 150 cabanes bawa’t ektarya.

Pitongpu’t apat na magsasaka buhat sa iba’t ibang barangay sa San Isidro ang nag-partisipa sa techno-demo na pinangunahan ng mga field technician ng SL Agritech sa pakikipag-ugnayan kay G. Gromyko Geraldino, ang provincial agriculturist ng Surigao del Norte.

Sa kanyang maiksing pananalita sa programang ginanap, inamuki ng G. Ger-aldino ang mga magsasaka sa nasabing lalawigan na lalu pang pag-ibayuhin ang pagtatanim ng hybrid rice variety “sapagka’t dito kayo makakaasang malaki ang inyong aanihin.”

programang kanilang hinanda kung saan, dito ihahayag ang mga magsasakang nakapag-ani ng matatawag kong “sobra” sa kanilang inaasahan sa dahilang ang kanilang pag-aani ay natapat sa buwan ng tag-ulan.

“Siyempre, masasaya kami dahil nga sa masagana ang aming naging ani,” ang sagot nila.

Nakadaupang-palad namin si G. Rodrigo Galiago, board member ng Sang-guniang Bayan ng San Isidro, na isa ring magsasaka na nagtatanim ng SL-8H hybrid

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MGA MAGSASAKA, PATULOY NA MAGTATANIM NG HYBRID RICE

Ni CARMINA CRUZ

Farmers' day at caravan, ginanap bilang pasasalamat sa malaking ani

PINANGUNAHAN NI MAYOR NAVARRO

Ni JOH DUNGCA

Kuha sa Santiago, Isabela nang idaos ang Farmers' Field Day.

Nagkaroon ng isang Grand Farmers’ Field Day at Caravan ang mga magsasakang nagtanim ng SL-8H hybrid rice sa bayan ng Santiago, Isabela, bilang pasa-salamat at kasiyahang malaki sa kanilang inaning palay nitong kalilipas na buwan ng tagulan.

Ang nasabing Field Day at Caravan ay nilahukan ng mahigit 800 magsasaka at kapamilya na pinangunahan ng kanilang mahal na alkalde na si Gng. Amelita S. Navarro na siyang nagbigay sa mga magsasaka, bilang insintibo, ng sabsidiyang umabot sa halag-ang siyam na milyong piso.

Sinabi ni Mayor Navarro na naniniwala siya na ang hybrid rice technology ang susi upang mapaunlad hindi lamang ang agricultura sa kaniyang lungsod

kundi maging ang antas ng pamu-muhay ng mga magsasaka rito.

Kabilang sa mga dumalo sa nasabing Grand Farmers’ Field Day at Caravan ay sina Dr. Solomon D. Maylem, ang city agriculturist ng Santiago; Cathy Galura, bise presidente sa operasyon at Dr. Noel Mamicpic, bise presidente naman sa qual-ity control ng SL Agritech Corp., ang prodyuser ng SL-8H hybrid rice seeds variety. Naroon din si

KAHIT WALANG SEED SUBSIDY

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Maraming magsasaka sa Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Isabe-la, at sa ilang probinsya sa bansa na nagtatanim ng hybrid rice, ang nagpakita ng kanilang hinanakit sa biglaang pagtanggal ng seed subsidy na dating binibigay sa kanila ng pamahalaan.

“Talagang masakit sa amin ang biglaang pagkakatanggal ng nasabing sabsidiya. Malaking tu-long ‘yan sa amin. Dahil nandiyan na rin lang ‘yan, wala na kaming magagawa kundi pag-ibayuhin ng

lalu pa ang aming pagsusumikap na mapalago ang aming inaaning palay,” ayon sa mga magsasakang aming nakausap.

Ayon pa rin sa kanila, ipag-papatuloy nila ang pagtatanim ng hybrid rice dahil dito, wika nila, nakakapag-ani sila ng mas malaki kaysa sa pagtatanim nila ng tina-tawag ng inbred seed variety.

“Sa aming experyensya, lalu kaming mahihirapan kung kami ay babalik sa pagtatanim ng inbred. Medyo malaki nga ang nagagastos sa pagtatanim ng hybrid rice pero mas malaki pa rin ang nagiging ani at kinikita kumpara nga sa tinatawag na tradisyunal na palay o inbred seed variety,” sabi ni Ricardo Bue-naventura, chairman ng Nagka-kaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperar-tive Inc. sa Barangay Tabacao sa

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Sa isang pagmimiting kamakailan ng mga miyembro ng Nagkakai-sang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative Inc. sa Barangay Tabacao sa Talavera, Nueva Ecija, sa pangunguna ni G. Ricardo Buenaventura.

SA KABUKIRANNi JOH DUNGCA

Pag-iibayuhin pa ang kanilang pagtatanim ng

hybrid riceNagkaroon ako ng pag-

kakataong makasama sina Ma’m Cathy Galura, Dr. Noel Mapicpic at Dr. Santi Obien sa bayan ng San Isidro, Surigao del Norte, kung saan ginanap kamakailan ang Hy-brid Rice Harvest Festival sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng SL Agritech Corp.

Masaya kaming sina-lubong ng mga magsasaka doon, na sa kanilang mga mukha ay mababakas ang kasayahan o kasiyahan da-hilan na rin sa maganda nilang inaning palay nitong nakaraang anihan.

“Kumusta kayo,” ang bati namin sa kanila ha-bang hinahanda nila ang iba pang kaayusan ng lugar na pagdarausan ng maikling

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