Aurora farmers plant seeds of hope

CASIGURAN, Aurora, Philippines – Farmers here have started growing high-value fancy varieties of rice, thus nurturing hopes for a brighter future by cashing in on new technology that makes aromatic seeds easy to cultivate at a low cost.

Rice farmers in other places, like Baler, Dipaculao and San Luis, are nursing similar dreams by joining in the planting of Basmati, jasmine and japonica varieties. Jasmine (from Thailand) and Japonica (from Japan) rice are already known to the Filipino palate, but Basmati is relatively new in the country.

Basmati is long-grain rice characterized by delicate and light nutty flavor. Grown extensively in India and Pakistan, it is also unique because it does not stick together.

Aside from its fragrance and good taste, Basmati has become popular in other countries because it is considered a health food. Unlike ordinary rice, a serving of basmati rice does not cause a spike in blood sugar while providing consumers the nutrients found in other varieties.

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, a former Agriculture secretary who hails from Baler, has tapped Philippine Rice Institute (Philrice), which was created by the law he sponsored, to make his province a center of aromatic rice growing. In turn, Philrice has forged a joint venture with Aurora Grains, Inc. and Read Foundation, Inc. and launched the project in December 2009, starting with the Basmati variety.

Before that, Philrice developed local Basmati rice seeds in the Central Luzon State University which are more adaptable to local conditions.  Philrice is giving technical assistance to farmers here and other places that grow Basmati rice, using the PalayCheck system.

“Through this project, we will produce organically grown and high-value rice crops in the province of Aurora for the benefit of the local farmers,” the senator said.

The efforts of Angara and Philrice have been rewarded with a good harvest of Basmati rice last May 3. The local Basmati rice seeds planted in an initial area of 38 hectares yielded 80-100 cavans of rice per hectare.

Angara said, during the ceremonial harvest, that farmers can have a yield worth P26 million of aromatic rice in the next phase of the project, which has expanded to growing of Basmati, jasmine and japonica rice in Baler, San Luis and Dipaculao this new crop season.

During that initial harvest, Philrice demonstrated a mini combine harvester which is a postharvest machine that is a rice cutter, thresher, cleaner, and bagger simultaneously in a single operation. It also showed off a cooking stove that uses rice husks as fuel which farmers can use in their homes.

Fancy rice varieties command a higher price, usually double or even triple the average rate of well-milled rice and can increase the income of farmers tremendously. At present, the cheapest milled rice sold by the National Food Authority is priced at P18 per kilo.

Ruben B. Miranda, Philrice deputy executive director for development, is urging farmers outside this province to join the project by participating in adaptability trials as the results will show the best practices suiting for planting fancy rice varieties in the area.

Angara has also introduced the concept of contract growing and direct marketing in this project through the Aurora Grains. He wants to link farmers with retailers in Metro Manila, like Makati, Pasay, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Paranaque where there is high demand for special quality rice.

Philrice is giving this project two more years to really determine its success, but its optimism is very high even now that Aurora is on its way to become the fancy rice growing capital.