Murcia, Negros Occidental – The Province of Negros Occidental, known for its vast tracts of sugarcane farms and plantations, is introducing the intercropping of sugarcane and rice.
It is a agricultural innovation which could address poverty and food sufficiency in a province whose economy depends solely on sugarcane production.
During a call on Negros Occidental Gov. Bong Lacson yesterday, Provincial Agriculturist Atty. Japhet Masculino said that the experimental area for the rice-sugarcane intercropping is now at least 20 hectares.
Initial results using upland rice varieties showed yields of up to 2-metric tons of unmilled grains per hectare.
The yield could mean a milled rice output of at least 20 bags of 50 kilos, enough to feed a small farming family for 5 months.
The rice-sugarcane farming technology is an innovation which the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) would like to adopt and introduce in the sugarcane producing provinces of Mindanao like Bukidnon, North Cotabato and Davao del Sur.
Yesterday, Gov. Lacson accepted my offer of a Technical Cooperation Agreement between Negros Occidental and MinDA to enhance the exchange of experiences on advancements in agriculture and other fields.
Next month, I will go back to Negros Occidental again to finalize the Memorandum of Agreement on Technical Cooperation.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
(I personally took this video of the rice-sugarcane experimental farm in Murcia town yesterday.)
https://fb.watch/ary_jf3iTr/
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