SL Agritech to boost rice production

MANILA, Philippines — Hybrid rice producer SL Agritech Corp. is committed to improve rice production in the country by investing more in research and development of hybrid rice varieties.

SL Agritech CEO Henry Lim Bon Liong said the company’s technology is capable of meeting the country’s growing demand for rice.

“My goal, not just for SL Agritech but also for the country, is to enable the utilization of hybrid rice technology that would boost our rice production while increasing the net income of our farmers,” Liong said.

At present, SL Agritech supports farming communities through several agri-programs geared toward doubling or even tripling the farmers’ harvest to meet the growing demand for rice while also increasing their income.

The company launched the Masaganang Ani 300 program in 2020 with the goal of increasing the country’s rice productivity.

Through the program, farmers were able to produce 300 to 339 cavans of rice, equivalent to more than 15 metric tons of rice production using hybrid rice seeds.

Prior to the adoption of hybrid rice technology in the country, Nueva Ecija, considered as the rice granary of the Philippines, can only produce 870,000 metric tons of rice annually with an average yield of 3.6 tons per hectare.

With the use of hybrid rice seeds, yield increased to an average of 4.81 tons per hectare which encourages other farmers to follow suit. To date, annual palay production is more than two million tons with an average yield of 6.9 tons per hectare.

Hybrid rice seeds are bred from two very different parents, known to display “hybrid vigor” and are expected to out-yield inbred rice varieties.

At present, SL Agritech has more than 3,000 people in its research, production, and administrative facilities located in Makati, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac and Davao.

The company is also heavily involved in milled rice production through its network of contract growers that exclusively grow Doña Maria Premium Quality Rice and Willy Farms Rice.

Bon Liong said SL Agritech’s main goal is to help improve the lives of rice farmers while addressing the country’s rice sufficiency goal through hybrid rice seed technology.