The provincial government of Iloilo has launched a P30-million hybrid rice seed program aimed at improving average rice yields in the area.
The Department of Agriculture (DA-6) has identified Iloilo as one of its target sites in Western Visayas for the program, which will cover more than 6,000 hectares of rice farms in the region.
The hybridization program aims to increase rice yields in Iloilo, which averages 4.5 metric tons per hectare of palay.
This program was initiated even before the completion of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II, the biggest dam project outside Luzon.
The hybrid rice program is part of the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Systems (PAFES) launched in San Miguel town, where 309 bags of seeds were distributed to farmer-beneficiaries.
The DA-6 also released a report showing that only seven towns in Iloilo had been able to avail themselves of 45,000 bags of hybrid seeds in the fiscal year 2022. These towns had an average yield of five metric tons per hectare: Ajuy, Dumangas, Pavia, Mina, New Lucena, Barotac Nuevo, and Banate.
To boost the area and yield for hybrid planting this year, the DA-6 is backing the Iloilo Agricultural Office.
The hybrid rice program is a significant step towards improving the agriculture sector in the region, promoting a more productive and sustainable way of providing food for the community.
Source: Inside Politico | #InsidePolitico | June 7, 2023