Business exec goes into hybrid rice farming

Tom Gimenez is perhaps one of the few business executives who went into rice farming with the though that maybe someday, somehow, he will be more productive financially that is.

"I know he will be a successful rice farmer after he left our company sometime in 2005. I am indeed happy for him now as a farmer entrepreneur," said Henry Lim, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of SL Agritech Corp., where Gimenez was former vice president for marketing.

Gimenez’ hybrid farm is in Rizal, Occidental Mindoro. His initial performance using the SL-8H hybrid rice seeds variety was, in the words of Lim, "a big success" as he raked in more than a million pesos in profit for harvesting over 200 cavans per hectare from his 60-hectare farmland.

In the following planting season however, Gimenez’ riceland was greatly affected by typhoon "Milenyo" that his business partner decided to leave him. But his heart did not weaken. He was determined to succeed in his new business venture, so much so that last March 23, he made a record harvest of 238 cavans per hectare which was equivalent to 11,600 kilos per hectare.

Jo Dunca, SL Agritech acting advertising and promotions manager, has a different story to tell how Virgilio Perez of Balagtas, Bulacan, was convinced by his brother Delfin, to try planting the SL-8H hybrid rice seeds variety in his two-hectare farm in bgy. Pulong Gubat, and forget all about the inbred rice variety which he has been producing for years.

"Ngayon lamang ako nakapag-ani ng ganito kalaki," Dunca quoted "Mang Virgilio" as saying. She said Virgilio’ harvest made a week ago, was 180 cavans per hectare or 100 cavans per hectare higher than his past hervest from inbred rice variety.

Dunca however said Virgilio had confessed that he did not totally follow the recommended technology for hybrid rice production "because of some financial reason." "Wala daw siyang ginamit na pataba o insecticide," she said.

Virgilio is the youngest brother of Delfin Perez, assistant business editor of the Manila Bulletin and Emy Perez, business columnist of the Business Mirror. Virgilio has been a consistent outstanding farmer of Balagtas, Bulacan.