Outstanding hybrid rice farmers

MANILA, Philippines – Severino Payumo, a farmer from Barangay Buliran in Cabanatuan City, is expected to bring home the top prize in the search for 10 Outstanding Hybrid Rice Farmers in Nueva Ecija, for the dry cropping season 2008-2009.

Payumo’s record harvest, the technical evaluation com-mittee said, was 345 cavans per hectare, followed by Ricardo Buenaventura of Tabacao, Talavera, and Severino Velas-quez of Sta. Rita, Jaen with 266 and 229 cavans per hectare, respectively.

The three farmers planted the SL-8 hybrid rice variety produced by SL Agritech Corp.

The members of the com-mittee, created by the office of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio M. Umai, are at present working on activities related to the contest.

The committee is composed of representatives from the office of the provincial agricul-turist, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), National Food Authority (NFA), Central Luzon State University, National Irrigation Administration, and the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 3.

The awards rite is scheduled on May 28 at the Palayan Convention Hall in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

The prizes include a rice thresher, a hand tractor, a farm engine and knapsack sprayers.

Dr. Frisco Malabanan, national coordinator of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) hybrid rice program of the Department of Agriculture said the success of the hybrid rice commercialization in Nueva Ecija “is a result of the cooperation among the DA RFU-3, the private sector, farmers, agricultural extension workers and the local government units (LGUs).”

“This shows that with all the stakeholders participating, we can increase farmer’s income and achieve rice self-sufficiency.”