Antique, Iloilo among pilot provinces for Golden Rice cultivation

ILOILO, City - Following the approval of the biosafety permits for the consumption and commercial propagation of Golden Rice and its recent varietal registration, the Department of Agriculture - Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) will now expand the seed propagation to seven pilot provinces nationwide, including Antique and Iloilo.

PhilRice program leader Dr. Ronan Zagado said that the institute targets to turnover 60 kilograms of Golden Rice in the background of PSB Rc 82 good for 1.5-hectare on-station seed production in Iloilo and 80 kilograms for on-farm grain production in two-hectare irrigated rice areas in Antique this wet planting season.

He added that the target areas for Western Visayas would contribute to 46-hectare Golden Rice production nationwide this year, which aims to produce a sufficient supply of the vitamin A infused rice for distribution primarily to households at risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Golden Rice has been found to be safe as conventional varieties, but with the added benefit of beta carotene in the grains by the regulators in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the Philippines, the biosafety of Golden Rice was assessed by regulatory committees from the DA, Department of Health, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of the Interior and Local Government, according to Dr. Zagado.

He also noted that the daily intake of Golden Rice could be a sustainable source of Vitamin A.

As PhilRice embarks on creating healthier forms of rice, Dr. Zagado allayed consumers’ fears about the food safety aspect of Golden Rice while ensuring farmers that they can grow the said variety using the same crop management practices in growing other inbred rice varieties.

The stakeholders’ meeting for the deployment of Golden Rice held on April 26 at the DA-Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center, Jaro, Iloilo City, was attended by representatives from the DA regional office, Agricultural Training Institute, Bureau of Plant Industry- National Seed Quality Control Services, National Nutrition Council, PhilRice Negros, National Irrigation Administration, and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist - Iloilo.

To facilitate smooth implementation of the program, he urged DA and other partners to form a local technical working group to oversee the deployment activities and the provincial government units to craft resolutions supporting the program.(Sheila Mae H. Toreno/DA-RAFIS 6)