Agriculture

Many farmers in Lanao del Norte who abandoned rice farming because of significant yield losses are now returning because of improved harvests largely from the training given to them by a graduate of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Rice Extension Service Program (RCtEF RESP). A story on Queenie R. Notario, owner of a farm school in Bacolod, who began planning …

By Rose de la Cruz Danilo Arcales Bolos is one farmer who has made a record in the country not just for his fete in producing 17 metric tons per hectare (even recently hitting 19 mt/hectare) for hybrid rice which he gladly shared with colleagues but also for having successfully raised his children until they finish their professions. On the …

Newly-confirmed Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel went through the wringer of the Commission on Appointments without much difficulty because of the complete trust reposed on him by his best friend whom he supported in the national race, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. He vowed to make the entire agriculture sector profitable and attractive enough for the youth to engage in its …

The Department of Agriculture, through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) launched on Thursday the country’s first Agricultural Machinery Design and Prototyping Center (AMDPC). Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. led the inauguration of the 2,000-square meter facility located at PhilMech in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija. “This …

The Department of Agriculture through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and the DA-RFO CALABARZON will host the Young Farmers Challenge Program (YFC) 2023 National Awarding Ceremony on December 14, 2023, at the Development Academy of the Philippines, Tagaytay City. The event is the culmination of a ladderized competition from the provincial to the national level. A total of …

The Department of Agriculture is almost ready to roll out the voucher system in providing assistance of seeds and fertilizers to clustered farmers in five pilot regions. The department is looking at a possible launch of this voucher system using the IMC (interventions monitoring cards) that would double up as identification and cash card to individual farmers, according to Glenn …

With fertilizer prices having gone beyond the farmers’ imagination in 2022, the high palay farmgate prices in 2022 have been beneficial to farmers who are now encouraged to pursue their noble livelihood despite all current challenges. This observation was raised in yesterday’s briefing of Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian to farmers and various rice stakeholders during the Ugnay …

Whenever supplies are ready, palay farmer Desie Suco Paalisbon crosses the river (using the family’s motorized banca) for 30 minutes to one hour to get her inbred seeds and fertilizers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund in Purok 5, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur. She makes sure to plant the two sacks of seeds and two sacks of fertilizers immediately on …

At the 35th National Rice R4D (research for development) conference held at the central station of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, newly-appointed Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel Jr. spoke on behalf of his predecessor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in expressing his shared commitment to advance the rice communities and improve the lives of those in rice-growing communities. Saying his speech …

At the recently-concluded Asian Seed Congress 2023 held in Christchurch, New Zealand, several private seed companies of different crops showed interest in investing in the Philippines as part of their market diversification strategy. Those that indicated interest to invest in the Philippines were from Malaysia and  China to share their new technologies.  The idea is to make high quality seeds …