DA wants increased rice yield for CL

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to bat for an increase in rice yield for Central Luzon.

This, as the DA conducted a meeting with provincial implementors at Azzurro Hotel, in Balibago, Angeles City recently.

The event was attended by the different agricultural program coordinating officers (APCO), provincial agriculturists, rice program coordinators, rice report officers, provincial seed coordinators, farmers field school (FFS) and technology demonstration (technodemo) coordinators, provincial agricultural engineering chief, provincial agricultural and fisheries coordinators.

Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Crispulo G. Bautista, Jr. said that out of the 19 percent or 3.63 million metric tons contribution of Central Luzon to the 2017 national rice production, almost 10 percent or 1.88 million metric tons comes

from Nueva Ecija with the province’s average yield of 5.81 tons per hectare.

“The remaining six provinces (Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales) average yield is below five tons per hectare,” Bautista explained during his talk with the delegates.

“Now the challenge is for us is to increase our average yield to five tons per hectare. If Nueva Ecija can achieve it, other provinces can also do it,” Bautista added.

Discussions on Intensive Hybridization for Dry Season 2017-2018, Hybrid and Inbred Model Farm, and Inbred Seed Exchange Program were also held. Present during the meeting were Operations Chief Benjamin Baltazar and Rice Program Alternate Focal Person Eduviges Pelayo.