Paghahanda sa Krisis! Upland Rice Farming Training In North Cotabato Aug. 11-12 Charity begins at home.

On Aug. 11, Friday, and Aug. 12, Saturday, technicians of Seedworks Philippines handling the Tatag TH 82 Hybrid Seeds and AMO Foliar Fertilizer will conduct a Short Course on Upland Rice Farming in two venues in my home province of North Cotabato using modern hybrid rice seeds and foliar fertilization.
While I am just another farmer now, I believe it is my moral obligation as a Food Security Advocate to help the people of my province prepare for the expected increase in the price of rice in the market because India banned its rice exports while Thailand and Vietnam had raised the price of their rice exports.
What complicates this problem is the onset of the long drought, or El Niño, which could affect water supply and threaten rice production in the lowlands.
There are other upland rice varieties, mostly indigenous like Dinorado, Kadidit Pilit, Red 64, Masipag 09, Masipag 15, Mindoro, Camuros, Masipag 22, Palawan, Suleg, Biday, Pilit, and Pilit Talacdan but all of these varieties are seasonal with long period of maturity.
Seedworks Tatag TH 82 underwent trials in Dry Seeding conducted by the Department of Agriculture Region 12 in 2018 when I was Secretary and upland planting using the Israeli Fertigation Technology when I moved to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
In all of the trials, the yields recorded were between 6 to 8 metric tons per hectare, way higher than the 1 to 2 metric tons of traditional upland rice varieties.
The Short Course on Upland Rice Farming for upland farmers, including officials of LGUs, will first be held in the DXND-NDBC Auditorium in Kidapawan City on Aug. 11 at 9 a.m.
The following day, Aug. 12, Saturday, Alamada town mayor Jesus Sacdalan will host the event in Alamada Town Hall.
During the half-day event, technicians will teach farmers and agriculturists on the protocols of the Direct Seeding of the new hybrid seeds, Tatag TH 82, which could be planted drylands without irrigation.
To save on the cost of fertilization, AMO Foliar Fertilizer technicians will give out instructions on when and how to apply foliar fertilizer.
I will also be in the two events to provide a perspective on why there should be an aggressive effort to help farming families in high moisture uplands to plant Upland Rice using modern hybrid varieties.
The use of the organic Chicken Manure Slurry for plant nutrition which I am using now in our Sorghum and Soybeans farms will also be introduced.
The proper use of herbicides to prepare the upland areas for rice farming will also be shared with the participants.
Seedworks Philippines Vice President Remus Morandante and AMO Foliar Fertilizer owner Eric Acuña have agreed to raffle out samples of the TH82 Seeds and packets of AMO Foliar Fertilizer.
Several containers of Chicken Manure Slurry organic fertilizer will also be given out to participants of the Short Course.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Station Chief, Dr. Sailila Abdula, a rice breeder and expert, will also participate in the workshops to provide added information on Upland Rice Farming.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!