Ecija farmer fails to beat record palay yield

SAN JOSE CITY — A Nueva Ecija farmer’s dream of shattering the world record in palay harvest went pfft here Tuesday afternoon after his yield fell short of the mark established in China.

For the second consecutive year, Fernando Gabuyo Jr.’s bid fell short when he only harvested 350.5 cavans of palay per hectare in his wind-swept farm in Barangay Tondo here, failing to eclipse the record 370 cavans which China, where hybrid rice originated, posted last October.

A horde of spectators, including newsmen, farmers, agriculture officials, laborers and businessman Alfonso Puyat, whose chemicals were used by Gabuyo in his near record-breaking feat last year, ended up disappointed as Gabuyo’s harvest tallied only 350.5 cavans.

Gabuyo blamed the bad weather for his failed bid, saying its unpredictability took its toll on his overall harvest.

Last year, he harvested 332.5 cavans per hectare.

The 57-year-old Gabuyo, however, said he would give it another try next year when weather conditions could favor him. 

"Susubukan na lang natin sa isang taon (We’ll just give it another try next year)," he said.

Puyat, president of the Philippine Orchard Corp. (Philor) who motored all the way from Manila with his wife, Georgitta, and their three children for the event, said Gabuyo’s gross harvest was 401 cavans but with 15.5 percent moisture content.

He said the weather was too punishing, preventing Gabuyo’s attempt from successfully taking off.

"Last February, it kept raining and raining. Then we were subjected to very strong weather conditions in March," he said.

He, however, said Gabuyo’s feat was something to crow about since nobody in the three adjoining barangays where farmers have tried hybrid rice, has harvested more than 200 cavans per hectare.

Gabuyo used SL9, a superior but largely untested variety developed by SL Agritech Corp. Puyat described the variety as superb.

Last year, Gabuyo, with Puyat’s help, used three chemicals for his hybrid rice farm. This year though, the duo added three more chemicals — Tripostate, Boron and Gibbirellic acid — but their efforts still fell short.

The three chemicals are said to increase height and leaf development and the fertility of the male pollen.

Last Tuesday’s threshing was witnessed by Gabuyo’s wife Erlinda, city agricultural technician Josephine Avila, Pedro Samonte and Jun Espiritu of the Department of Agriculture in Region 3, Wawell Usorio, renowned farmer Freddie Noriel, and Puyat’s children Noel, Juancho Albert and Beatriz.

Usorio came all the way from Cebu to cover the event, considered a landmark in this city some 200 kilometers north of Manila.

The threshing of Gabuyo’s harvest started at past 8 a.m. Tuesday and dragged on before noon.

Fifteen of Gabuyo’s farmhands loaded the threshed palay into sacks and brought it to the rice milling station at the city proper some 10 kilometers away.

As early as Monday night, Gabuyo had already expressed apprehension that his harvest might fall short, citing the unfavorable weather conditions.

City councilor Joseph Ortiz nevertheless lauded Gabuyo for trying and for inspiring other farmers in the city to venture into hybrid rice.

"If only the whole of San Jose is irrigated, we might see farmers embarking on a massive production of hybrid rice," he said.

Ortiz said Mayor Alexander Belens fully supports efforts to make the city a showcase of hybrid rice production in the entire province.