Protect your lead in palay output, Yap tells NE farmers

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap urged over the weekend farmers in Nueva Ecija to maintain the province’s position as the country’s top rice producer and to promote the planting of hybrid rice "to increase our harvest that would provide a positive outlook for our rice industry."

"Nueva Ecija is the No. 1 rice-producing province in the country and I urge you to maintain it in that position," said Yap, as he encouraged them to go into crop diversification such as planting fruits and vegetables and raising fish and livestock to further increase their income.

Yap was guest of honor and speaker during a farmers’ field day and harvest festival sponsored by SL Agritech Corp. The affair was held at the hybrid rice farm of the Mabini Hybrid Rice Cluster in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.

One of the highlights of the affair was the inauguration of a 120-cavan-per batch flat-bed rice dryer donated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region III, to the Bagong Buhay Multi-Purpose Cooperative headed by Jojo Garcia.

Also gracing the inaugural rites, led by Yap, were Dr. Leocadio Sebastian, PhilRice executive director; Dr. Redentor Gatus, DA acting RFU 3 regional director; Dr. Frisco Malabanan, GMA executive director; Dr. Noel Mamicpic, SL Agritech vice president for research and development; former Food Minister and NFA Administrator Jesus Tanchanco Sr.; Cathy Galura and Day Cariño, SL Agritech senior vice president and regional sales manager, respectively; and Dr. Santiago Obien, former executive director of PhilRice.

Also in attendance were some 400 farmers from the towns of Llanera, Aliaga, Talavera, Natividad, Tabacao, Guimba, Jaen, Cuyapo, Rizal and San Jose.

Jojo Garcia said all the 52 farmer-members of his group were very happy with their harvests noting that since they started planting the SL-8H hybrid rice variety in 2001, their production has increased tremendously.

"Our first harvest in 2001 was 180 cavans per hectare; the following year, we increased it to 193 cavans/ha.; in 2003, 201 cavans/ha.; in 2004, 209 cavans/ha.; in 2005, our harvest jumped to 235 cavans/ha.; and last year, we made a record harvest of 251 cavans per hectare," Garcia said.

As a result, he said, his members will continue to plant the SL-8H hybrid variety.