24 hybrid rice festivals slated

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-four hybrid rice harvest festivals are scheduled this month and next month in three regions of the country to promote the benefits of hybrid rice technology.

SL Agritech Corp., which has been sponsoring the rice festivals every year since 2005, said today’s scheduled farm festivity will be at a 60-hectare SL-8H hybrid rice farm in San Miguel, Bulacan, managed by the members of the Balkasan Irrigators’ Association headed by Benjamin Laurente.

The next scheduled rice harvest festival is on March 18, in an eight-hectare hybrid rice farm in Barangay Pulo in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Gov. Aurelio Umali, a strong advocate of hybrid rice production, will be the special guest during the affair which will be attended by the officials of SL Agritech headed by Henry Lim.

“Pinagpapatuloy namin ang ganitong festivals taon-taon dahil naniniwala ang SL Agritech na sa ganitong paraaan (harvest festival) makikita ng ating mga magsasaka ang laki ng inaani sa pagtatanim ng hybrid rice,” Lim said, adding that farmers who are receptive in adopting modern farming technologies and practices, can truly increase their harvest and income.

Other scheduled venues of the SL Agritech harvest festivals are in Santiago, Isabela (March 18); Tabing Ilog in Licab, Nueva Ecija; Brgy. Tulong in Urdaneta, Pangasinan (March 20); Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija and at Lasam, Cagayan (March 24); Cauayan and Roxas in Isabela (March 25); in Lallo, Cagayan (March 26).

San Manuel, Isabela and Brgy. Dalongue, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan (March 27) Aparri and Carrab/Laruigan, Cagayan and in Burgos, Isabela (March 31); Brgy. Bunol, Guimba, Nueva Ecija (April 1); Alicia, Isabela (April 2); Gen. M. Natividad, Nueva Ecija (April 5); in Bagumbayan, Llanera, Nueva Ecija (April 7); Gattaran, Cagayan (April 11); Solana, Cagayan (April 14) and in Tabuk and in Tomana West, Rosales, Pangasinan (April 15).