HYBRID RICE DOUBLES HARVEST, INCOME OF MINDORO FARMERS

A GROUP of farmers in Oriental Mindoro is celebrating a significant increase in their harvests and income with the help of hybrid rice cultivation.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that farmers in Oriental Mindoro were able to double their harvest and income during the wet season this year.

“Dahil sa pagtatanim ng hybrid rice, paglagay ng tamang abono, at paggamit ng makabagong paraan ng pagsasaka, lumaki ang aming ani at nadoble ang aming kita,” said Leynard S. Pastoral, president of G. Antonino Gloria Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative, of Bgy. Mabuhay, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro.

According to Pastoral, they were primarily cultivating inbred rice varieties in 2020 and 2021. During this period, their yields averaged around 4.6 metric tons per hectare.

They were convinced to shift to using hybrid rice seeds in 2022 and saw that their harvest increased to 11 metric tons per hectare.

“Mula sa karagdagang kita, kami’y nakapundar para sa aming pamilya at nakabili ng mga kagamitan sa bukid kagaya ng makinang pangbungkal ng lupa,” Pastoral said.

Pastoral thanked the DA-MIMAROPA (Mindoro-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan) for the programs that were extended to their group, including providing the hybrid rice seeds, inorganic fertilizers, and soil ameliorants.

He encouraged more farmers to use hybrid rice seeds.