Two Pangasinan farmers cited for developing new rice varieties

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Two farmers were recognized by the municipal council here for developing new varieties of rice.

Councilor Aldrin Soriano issued a resolution, recognizing Dionesio Frianeza and Samuel Gorospe both this town of Barangay Malabago.

Frianeza was able to crossbreed PSB Rc 14 Jasmine which will be registered as BONA I rice, which has an average plant height of 110 centimeters.The eating quality has been described as soft and aromatic.

Gorospe, on the other hand,  was able to crossbreed G11 (F6) by NSIC Rc 216 which will be registered as BONA II rice.

“The introduction of these new farmer-developed rice varieties is a significant accomplishment for the municipality, since it is not often that farmers come up with new varieties of rice that best suits local conditions,” Soriano said.

He added that this new farmer-developed stable lines of rice could not have been successfully bred without the free exchange, use and reuse of seeds by farmers.

Soriano underscored the need to put these new rice varieties in the public domain to allow other farmers to use them for further breeding without restrictions.

These farmer-developed rice varieties came from Mangaldan, Pangasinan through the efforts of farmers and the assistance of the local government unit.

Soriano, chairman of the town council’s committee on Agriculture, said he also drafted an ordinance for Farmers’ Seed Registry to protect the Intellectual Property Rights of the farmers.

“Right now, there are 10 other varieties of rice that included purple, black and red being developed in our town,” he added.

BONA I and II rice varieties were named after the town mayor, Bonafe de Vera-Parayno, according to municipal agriculturist Merle Sali.

The resolution, however, is not yet registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) as an ordinance,  Soriano said.