Outstanding hybrid rice farmers feted

MANILA, Philippines –  Hybrid rice farmers in Cagayan and Isabela who were adjudged winners in the “Search for Hybrid Rice Highest Yielder,” were commended by Henry Lim, chairman and CEO of SL Agritech Corp. during a “Partnership Forum” held over the weekend at the Hotel Roma in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

Lim commended the farmers who, he said, “are receptive in adopting modern farm technologies and practices.”

Ferdinand Melchor, who used to plant the traditional (inbred) rice variety, bested 47 other hybrid rice farmers in the region who participated in the “Search” chalking up a total of 237 cavans per hectare. The average yield per hectare of the other participating farmers who also planted the SL-8H hybrid seeds variety, was 230 cavans.

Sponsored by SL Agritech Corp., the affair was attended by provincial officials of Cagayan and Isabela, among them Malig Mayor Pedro Flores, Quezon Vice-Mayor Jimmy Gamazon and Municipal Administrator Andres Vicente of Roxas, Isabela.

Dr. Mildred Abella and Danilo Tumamao, Cagayan and Isabela provincial agriculturists, respectively, were also present during the occasion.

Among the country’s top hybrid rice farmers are Severino Payumo of Nueva Ecija who broke the record of 345 cavans per hectare harvested by lady farmer Aida Badong of San Nicolas, Camarines Sur; Ricardo Buenaventura, also of Nueva Ecija, 266 cavans per hectare; Ramil Jimenez of Occidental Mindoro, 258 cavans; Michael Viduya, 250 and Edward Importante, 236 also of Occidental Mindoro; Teodorico Tumaliuan of Solana, Cagayan, 258.72; and Ferdinand Melchor, also of Cagayan, 237.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Regions I, II, III, IV-B and VIII top the list of hybrid rice planting. The top five provinces planting hybrid rice are Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan and Leyte.