Alternative farming technique pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Private hybrid rice seeds producer SeedWorks Philippines is pushing for an alternative farming technique for a more efficient rice farming to help in the country’s food production.

The company recently launched dry-direct seeding technology in a rice farm in Barangay Cabatling, Malasiqui and in Barangay Nelintap, San Carlos City, both in Pangasinan.

Seedworks said the alternative farming technique is suitable for its versatile, yet high-yielding TH-82 Tatag Hybrid rice variety.

It said the rice farming demonstration would prove the reliability of TH-82 variety in bringing higher yields to farmers while significantly lowering the usual rice production costs in irrigation and labor.

“Through this field demo, we want every farmer to realize that growing hybrid rice may not require spending more. Through using SeedWorks’ TH-82 hybrid rice variety, farmers can still get high yield while spending less in production cost using dry-direct seeding technology,” SeedWorks president Carlos Saplala said.

Dry-direct seeding is an emerging rice-planting technique that is designed to address scarcity in water especially in the uplands and other areas where water is scarce, or irrigation could not be sufficiently maintained. It is also ideal when farming during drought.

Through this alternative rice-farming technique, rice seeds are directly sown into the soil. Through the process, labor cost is trimmed as the need to puddle-transplant or wet-sow rice plants is skipped, drawing attention in some rice-producing countries in the region, the company said.

SeedWorks’ dry-direct seeding technology demonstration comes as President Marcos, who also assumes the role as agriculture chief, called for higher rice production this planting season to meet the country’s requirements amid a looming global food crisis.

“SeedWorks has always been supportive of the government’s efforts aimed at ultimately helping our local farmers achieve greater harvests despite the adverse soil and weather conditions,” SeedWorks VP  Remus Morandante said.

“Our hybrid rice varieties have been proven to enable farmers to enjoy higher yields, producing the best quality of rice that consumers appreciate,” he said.

However, Saplala said not every hybrid rice variety can withstand the dry-direct seeding culture.

“TH-82 has been proven to survive and perform well compared to other rice varieties in the market, based on results in many field trials,” he said.

SeedWorks’ TH-82 hybrid rice variety is best noted for its seed vigor, robust root system, and ability to bring about high-yield despite unlikely climate conditions. It has already been proven to be the right rice variety of choice for direct-seeding and dry-seeding techniques in dry and even wet rice field conditions.

In a previous dry-seeding farming test conducted in Central Mindanao, TH-82 yielded over six metric tons per hectare. That is a standout in comparison with the average maximum yield of just 2.5 metric tons per hectare using indigenous rice varieties, which are dependent on rain.

Meanwhile, SeedWorks Philippines also renewed its partnership with the Caut Farmers Field School (FFS) Marketing Cooperative, for the purchase, milling, and marketing of US 88 hybrid rice harvested by partner rice farmers in the area.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed yesterday, the agricultural seed company will help link US 88 rice farmers with rice traders and millers who are willing to purchase US 88 palay (unhusked rice produce) at prices that are higher than the prevailing farm gate prices. Thus, local rice farmers could increase their income.

In turn, the traders and millers will obtain support from SeedWorks Philippines through marketing US 88 rice produce.

Marketing efforts include linking millers and consumers (in the process reducing intermediaries that add up to retail prices) and providing the packaging for milled US 88 rice in 25-kilogram sacks, which make the produce easier to sell through retailers and to end consumers.

“SeedWorks keeps its commitment to further empower local rice farmers in the countryside by helping link them with millers who can pay higher prices for the premium-quality rice harvests,” Saplala said.