Hybrid rice variety helps farmer achieve his dreams for his family

MANILA, Philippines - “Utang ko sa Dios ang lahat.”

These were the words of Jimmy Orata of Barangay J. Olioas in the quiet town of Camalaniugan in Cagayan, when asked about his performance as a rice farmer.

He beamed with pride in saying “Utang ko sa Dios ang lahat. Kagaya ng pag-angat ng aming kabuhayan buhat sa aking pagsasaka at ito’y simula nang magtanim ako ng hybrid rice maglilimang taon na ngayon.”

Mang Jimmy, as he is known in the neighborhood, said his dreams for his family started coming true after he started planting the SL-8H hybrid rice variety some five years ago.

“Maayos na ang aming bahay, napagtapos na namin ang aming mga anak, nadagdagan pa ang laki ng aking sinasakang lupa at marami pang biyaya ang aming natanggap at tinatanggap mula sa itaas,” he proudly said.

He said his income from hybrid rice farming has enabled him to buy two more hectares of rice farm to add to his original 10-hectare farmland.

Orata said he used to plant the RC-18 at IR-64 inbred seed variety and that his average harvest was only about 80 cavans per hectare. But since, he said, he tried planting the SL-8H hybrid variety sometime in 2005,   his harvest increased to an average of 190 cavans per hectare.

From his income from farming, Mang Jimmy said he bought additional farm equipment such as hand tractors, flatbed drier, and a threshing machine.

“Nakabili rin ako noon ng tricycle na nagagamit panghanap-buhay. Kinabitan ko nga ito noon sa likod ng maliit na karatula na ang nakasulat ay: “Katas ng SL-8H.”

Mang Jimmy first heard of hybrid rice from an SL Agritech technician who gave him a brochure on hybrid rice production including the recommended technology to produce the high-yielding rice variety.

Meanwhile, the Cagayan provincial agriculturist reported that five of the province’s hybrid rice farmers have won the SL Agritech’s “Search for Hybrid Rice Highest Yielder,” a nationwide contest launched by the firm in 2008 to promote the planting of hybrid rice.

They were Teodorico Tumaliuan of Bangag, Solana, who harvested 258.72 cavans per hectare; Lauro Garcia of Julian Olivas, Camalaniugan, 257 cavans per hectare; Franklin Tapaoan of Maguirig, Solana, 253.09 cavans p/h; Josefina Talang of San Roque, Penablanca, 246; and Isidro Longayan of Nararagan, Ballesteros, 233 cavans per hectare.