Hybrid rice technology pushed

MANILA, Philippines - SL Agritech Corp. has been sponsoring hybrid rice harvest festivals all over the country to promote the benefits of hybrid rice technology to boost farm productivity, according to Henry Lim, the firm’s president and chief executive officer (CEO).

The first two harvest festivals held this harvest season were in La Paz , Tarlac last March 16,  and in  Urdaneta, Pangasinan. last March 30.  The next will be in Nueva Ecija -- in Sto. Domingo on April 11 and in Sta. Rosa on April 12; and in Alcala in  Cagayan on April 20. Lim said ten other rice harvest festivals are scheduled  to be held in May this year.

Special guests at the La Paz harvest festival, which was attended by over 350  hybrid rice farmers and community leaders, were Tarlac Governor  Victor Yap and Mayor Michael Manuel.  Special guest at the Urdaneta affair was Mayor Boom Perez.

The theme of this year’s festival is  “Mula sa Kawalan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran.”

Among those who had graced the festivals which  SL Agritech Corp. has been sponsoring since 2006,   were President Aquino’s sisters Maria Elena “Balsy” Aquino-Cruz and Pinky Aquino Abellada, Former Agriculture Secretary Arturo Yap,   National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Lito Banayo, Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali, Tarlac Governor Victor Yap; provincial, town and barangay officials including provincial and municipal agriculturists.

“We are indeed happy to note that more and more farmers in many parts of the country are now planting our high-yielding hybrid rice seed variety, notably our SL-8H and using the latest farming technology,” Lim said.

“Hindi pwedeng hanggang sa traditional (inbred seeds variety) na lang tayo,” he said, adding that “while we are all aware of the important role played by technology in our massive food production efforts, there is the need for all of us to keep abreast with the various technological approaches and to continuously be in search of new and better systems towards increased productivity.”