PhilRice Self Sufficiency Rice Plan

PhilRice develops plan for the country’s rice self-sufficiency program.

PhilRice, Nueva Ecija is advocating the Rice Science for Sustainable Human Development (S4D) battle cry, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has crafted its corporate plan for 2010-2013 and 2014-2020 to help farmers achieve holistic development.

“More than helping the country become rice-sufficient, PhilRice pursues a more aggressive development work for our farmers, addressing not just their yields, but all other equally important facets of their lives,” said Ronilo Beronio, PhilRice executive director.

Contextualized within the country’s national development goals, PhilRice will pursue the following in five to 10 years: attain and sustain rice self-sufficiency; reduce poverty and malnutrition; and achieve competitiveness in agricultural science and technology.

Beronio said that “it has come to pass that research and development (R&D) are combined as one where research is our main focus. Now, we have expanded the meaning of development to human development.”

To achieve the goal of helping attain and sustain rice self-sufficiency, PhilRice is set to accomplish the following, among others: develop next-generation inbred rice varieties with dry season yield potential of 12 tons per hectare (t/ha) and 14 t/ha, respectively; generate varieties that address climate change; commercially manufacture production and postproduction machines such as mechanical transplanter, precision seeder and reversible airflow dryer; and produce recommendations on nutrient management appropriate for drought, submergence and saline-prone environments.

Moreover, PhilRice aims to reduce poverty and malnutrition by 50 percent in location-specific technology development project sites. It also aims to alleviate the annual per-capita poverty threshold in rural areas. Specifically, PhilRice will generate hybrid and inbred varieties with pro-vitamin A, high in zinc and iron, and nutraceutical. Furthermore, rice-farming households will be trained to be entrepreneurs.

In realizing competitiveness in agricultural science and technology (S&T), the institute will create more dynamic staff development plans and will modernize its R&D facilities. Rice S&T education will also be promoted among the youth in the country.

By Business Mirror

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