NE town eyes top spot in hybrid rice prod'n

MANILA, Philippines - “One of my plans for our town of Llanera is to make it the number one hybrid rice producer in Nueva Ecija. Hybrid rice production is No. 1 in my master plan to boost our farm productivity and income,” said Mayor Lorna Mae B. Vero.

She said hybrid rice production has substantially increased their rice yield and income “so much so that it is our stepping stone towards the improvement of our community and people.”

Vero said Llanera has a total of 8,529 hectares of farmland, 5,845 of which are planted to hybrid rice.

“We have about 1,686 rice farmers, majority of us are using the SL-8H variety. This is so because it gives us higher production and income compared to the traditional rice variety we used to plant before,” she said.

Vero, who is a rice farmer herself, said rice production is her town’s main line of activity and as such, “we have to make the most out of it.”

‘While we are all aware of the important role played by technology in our massive food production efforts, there is the apparent need for all of us to keep abreast with the various technological approaches and to be continuously be in search of new and better systems towards increased productivity,” Vero, an economics graduate from the Trinity College in Quezon City, said.

“Pinangako naman sa amin ng SL Agritech Corp. na lagi silang magiging handa sa pakikipagtulungan sa aming mga magsasaka sa pagtuturo ng mga makabagong teknolohiya sa pagtatanim ng hybrid rice,” she said.

She said about 1,200 hectares of the town’s ricefields are rainfed. “Ginagawan namin ito ng paraan para maging productive sa paglalagay ng irigasyon o patubig,” she said.

Asked if farmers in her town also experienced abnormal growth of their SL-8 hybrid plants, she said the damage “was very minimal.”

“Malaki ang aming pag-asa na aani kami ng malaki dahil ngayon pa lamang, nakikita na naming sa aming mga pananim na maganda naman ang kanilang paglaki at pamumunga,” she said.