Retired aircraft engineer posts record palay yield

PULILAN, Bulacan — Aircraft engineering and rice farming may not have a direct relationship, except perhaps when planes crash into ricefields.

But for Pedro Tapang, a retired Air Force engineer-turned-farmer, the two are related since both are exposed to the same elements, adding that to build better planes, one must consider climatic conditions.

In aircraft repair, he said they usually look at the different parts of the plane in a certain way that is applicable to rice farming, too.

"One must look at things the way (he) looks at compartments," he said. 

That was what he actually did. He divided his 1.5-hectare farm into three plots and planted each with a different rice variety.

The move paid off. Last week, Tapang harvested 330 cavans, making him the top rice farmer in Bulacan.

This is something that Tapang has always dreamt of.

After he retired from the government, Tapang bought a farmland in Barangay Bala—tong-B here in 1995.

He had the money. Since he had never farmed before, he hired a tenant. But six years later, his tenant died, prompting him to till his farm all by himself.

"My first year was really a struggle, but I was determined to learn, so I attended trainings and seminars," said Tapang, who is now the president of the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

His determination to learn paid off as he was declared this year’s "Top Yielder" when his 1.5-hectare farm produced 330 cavans.

On the three half-hectare plots, he planted three different hybrid rice varieties — Bigante, Mestizo 3, and Bioseed, that yielded 105 cavans, 109 cavans, and 116 cavans, respectively.

Two years ago, Mariano de los Santos of Marilao town earned the title of "Top Yielder" when he harvested 205 cavans from his one-hectare farm.

But this was easily eclipsed by Tapang’s feat since the total harvest from any two of the retired Air Force engineer’s three half-hectare plots surpasses De los Santos’ record.

Representatives of the Department of Agriculture in Central Luzon, PhilRice, the provincial agriculture office, and the different municipal agriculture offices witnessed Tapang’s record-setting harvest.

Provincial agriculturist Gigi Carillo said Tapang’s achievement shows that there is still hope for local rice farmers.

Other farmers like Narding Paguio of Paombong town said rice farming can be profitable depending on the rice variety and the season.

He said hybrid rice is best planted during the dry season between November and April.

"Mahina kasi sa sakit ang hybrid rice kapag tag-ulan (Hybrid rice is prone to disease during the rainy season)," Paguio said, adding that hybrid rice usually suffers from bacterial leaf blight.