Colored rice promoted

MANILA, Philippines - Organic farming advocates are promoting the massive planting of colored rice which is said to be rich in phytochemicals that fight cancer.

The aromatic, cancer-fighting black rice known as “Forbidden Rice” is found in Asia, according to the La Liga Policy Institute (LLPI).

The group said black rice was recently introduced in the local market and because of the growing demand, its organic cultivation is starting to gain ground in Luzon, particularly in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Mindoro, where advocates have started to adopt organic farming as a strategy in fighting and mitigating the impact of global warming and climate change.

There are five colored rice varieties which are being cultivated in the Philippines – brown, red, pink, violet and black. However, these indigenous rice varieties are rarely sold in the market, as these are usually consumed by the farmers themselves, the LLPI said.

“We are confident that black rice and other colored rice varieties will eventually be exported by the Philippines to other countries, considering the demand for healthier food that are organically grown, or grown without the use of agrochemicals,” Roland Cabigas, managing director of LLPI and a convenor of Go Organic! Philippines, said.

He said there is currently an initiative to make black rice and other indigenous rice varieties more visible in the local market, as well as in supermarkets.

The price of colored rice is slightly higher than ordinary well-milled rice. Black rice is sold from P60 to P120 per kilo in some specialty stores, Cabigas said.

In Tarlac, around 20 hectares are planted with black rice, 15 hectares in Bulacan and five hectares in Nueva Ecija. It is also being cultivated in some parts of Baler, Aurora; Isabela; Mindoro and Bataan.

Bureau of Soils and Water Management director Silvino Tejada said organic farming is a continuing effort of the Department of Agriculture to promote environment-friendly agriculture in the country.