Preparing for Crisis! Drylands Rice Farming Eyes 500,000 Hectares

Preparing for Crisis!
Drylands Rice Farming
Eyes 500,000 Hectares
A private sector group which I had organized will lead an ambitious program which aims to work hand-in-hand with local government units to plant a modern Hybrid Rice Variety in 500,000-hectares of upland and drylands, mainly in Mindanao.
I have designed a program called “Kalahating Ektarya Sa Bawat Pamilya” as my contribution to the country’s preparation for the impending rice crisis resulting from Climatic aberrations which affected rice production in major rice exporting countries.
India, which accounts for 40% of the World Rice Market Supply, has banned exports while Thailand and Vietnam are raising their export prices, developments which could hurt the Philippines which imports about 3.7-M metric tons every year.
With my farm, Braveheart Farms & Nursery leading the initiative, I have succeeded in forming a group composed of agriculture stakeholders willing to do their share in helping the country sail through the rice crisis.
The most important player of this undertaking is a Filipino company, Seedworks Philippines, which distributes the Tatag TH 82 Hybrid (NSIC 350H) which could be planted both in drylands and irrigated areas.
Since it could be planted through dry seeding, TH 82 could be propagated in many upland areas of Mindanao where upland rice farming had been a tradition for ages.
The only difference is that TH82 is harvested at 115 days compared to the indigenous upland rice varieties which take 5 to 6 months to mature.
Being a hybrid, TH82 has recorded up to 8-metric tons yield per hectare in drylands.
The other companies which expressed their support for this project are AMO Foliar Fertilizer, Green Valley Machineries for the mini-rice mills, Better Yield Agro for the production inputs, Ana’s Breeder Farm for the thermophilic organic fertilizer and the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation Radio Station DXND which will help in the media dissemination.
It was the DXND staff actually who asked during an interview they had with me last week if I could lead the private sector in preparing for the rice crisis.
That was when I designed the KEBP Program which aims to convince farming families to plant upland rice in at least one-half hectare for their family’s consumption.
Yesterday, I met in my farm the executives of Seedworks Philippines to finalize the details of the program targeting 500,000-hectares of drylands rice farming in coordination with the Local Government Units.
On Aug. 11, the first Workshop on Upland Rice Farming will be conducted for the City of Kidapawan and the towns of Makilala, Magpet, Pres. Roxas, Matalam, Kabacan, Carmen, Mlang and Tulunan at the NDBC-DXND Auditorium in Kidapawan City.
On Aug. 12, the second workshop will be held in Alamada Town Hall for the towns of Pikit, Aleosan, Midsayap, Libungan, Pigcawayan, Banisilan and Alamada.
Invited to the forum are the LGU officials, agriculturists and farmer leaders who will be briefed on the protocols of Upland Rice Farming.
The next venue of the Workshop on Upland Rice Farming is in Caraga Region where the Dept. of Agriculture Regional Office has offered to host the event.
Critical in the success of this initiative, however, is the participation of the LGUs who will be asked to fund the program through their Economic Development and Calamity Funds.
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