“By embracing all the matured technologies in the Rice Model Farm Cluster Project, it will be of great advantage on your part because of the increase in yield as per techno-demo results presented today. This will pave way for you to become competitive rice farmers with other ASEAN nation amidst the recent passage of the Rice Tariffication Law,” stressed Engr. Rodolfo A. Bayucan, Agricultural Center Chief III of DA-Southern Cagayan Research Center (DA-SCRC), Minanga Norte, Iguig, Cagayan on the recently concluded field day in Visitacion, Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

The project aimed to showcase the relative yield advantage of using hybrid rice seeds as compared to certified inbred, good and farmer’s home saved seeds.

Representing the regional office, Bayucan expressed his gratitude to the Municipal Local Government Unit of Sta. Ana headed by Mayor Darwin Tobias, Municipal Agriculturist Richard Alibania, farmer co-operators, Irrigators Association members, barangay captains & other officials, partner-seed companies representatives, farmers and other agri-stakeholders for attending the field day.

Particularly, he lauded Municipal Agriculturist Alibania for embracing the project and for the good performance of the hybrid seeds in the area as per 2019 Dry Season actual yield sample compared with benchmark data 2018 Dry Season with 198 cavans per hectare (9.9MT) public hybrid (SL-8H) @ 50-kg/cavan and 120 cavans (6MT) per hectare, respectively.

“Kaya kami naparito para ikampanya sa inyo ang paggamit ng mga nasubok na at mga makabagong hybrid na binhi na mainam sa inyong lugar at malaki kung umani,” Bayucan stressed. “Masaya kami dahil nakita natin na 4.0 metric tons ang naidagdag sa inyong ani sa aktibidad na ito,” Bayucan disclosed.

As per PhilRice study, the use of hybrid seeds is proven to have a 15% yield advantage over inbred seeds.

One of the aims of the model farm project is to attain at least 7.5MT of palay per hectare during Wet Season cropping and 10MT for Dry Season cropping.

Bayucan further stressed that the rice model farm cluster project in the municipality has a total area of 127.45 hectares composed of four clusters, namely, Pangkat I with 43.5 hectares and 58 beneficiaries headed by Chairman Rufo Gallien; Pangkat II with 48.63 hectares and 59 beneficiaries headed by Chairman Marcos Rituria, Pangkat III with 21.30 hectares and 25 beneficiaries headed by Dadz D. Esguera and Pangkat IV with 14 hectares and 16 beneficiaries or a total of 127.45 hectares and 158 beneficiaries for the whole of Sta. Ana.

Bayucan pointed out that the 127.45 hectares is just an initial compact rice areas identified by DA RFO 02 management in coordination with the local officials of Sta. Ana.

He stressed that the abovementioned 127.45 hectares demonstration areas were utilized to showcase matured hybrid rice technologies.

“The conduct of such field days could be an important avenue in disseminating and sharing significant techno-demo results and information to every farmers. It is a big help to everyone which will pave way for the increase of their yields”, said Bayucan.

The increase in yield based on the presented techno-demo results of almost 10MT compared with a benchmark survey of 6.0MT(DS2018) is anchored on the battle cry of the DA which is DA RFO 02 Towards Agri-Preneurship”. He then enjoined all agri-stakeholders for the continued support and help to DA RFO 02 in disseminating such kind of developmental programs which will help them to gradually shift to new and modern farming system.

Bayucan underscored that the model farm cluster project in the area in the next cropping season shall integrate rice mechanization aspect most especially on precision planting to achieve the right number of seedlings to be planted per hectare to maximize the yield potential of hybrid seeds.

For his part, Mr. Richard Alibania, Municipal Agriculturist of Sta. Ana expressed his gratitude to DA RFO 02 management for considering Sta. Ana as one of the beneficiaries of the rice model farm cluster project.

He assured that they will continue to embrace and disseminate all the agricultural developmental projects the DA RFO 02 management wishes to implement in their area.

Meanwhile, the clustered farms in the area were geo-tagged, farm parcel mapped using GPS and farmer- recipients were registered in a field registry and they will be given identification cards.

The field day on April 16, 2019 was spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 02 (DA RFO02), through the Southern Cagayan Research Center (SCRC), and in coordination with the MLGU Sta. Ana and PLGU Cagayan. It was attended by more than 200 farmers, associations, organizations, cooperatives, private sector and other agri-stakeholders in the area.