Hybrid rice technology boosts farmers’ harvest in Butuan City
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Rice farmers in Butuan City are gaining opportunities to improve their harvest through hybrid rice technology, with yields reaching seven to nine metric tons per hectare from the previous five to six metric tons, demonstrating how modern farming practices can increase productivity, improve farm income, and contribute to food security.
Winifred Alwag, a farmer and member of the Barangay Baan Integrated Farmers Inc. (BBIFA), shared this improvement during the Hybrid Rice Harvest Festival held on October 15 at the hybrid rice model farm in Purok 1, Ubod-ubod, Barangay Baan, Km. 3, Butuan City.
“Before, our harvest was only five to six tons per hectare, but now, with hybrid rice, it reaches seven to nine tons per hectare. This has been made possible through the support of the Department of Agriculture (DA),” Alwag said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga, through its Rice Program, conducted the festival to showcase hybrid rice’s yield potential and promote appropriate crop management practices that farmers can adopt to improve production and increase their income.
BBIFA is one of five sites in the Caraga region selected for the 100-hectare hybrid rice model farm initiative, which demonstrates modern rice farming technologies and provides farmers with opportunities to learn practices they can apply to their own fields.
Complementing this initiative is the 40-hectare hybrid rice demonstration farm at Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City, where hybrid rice production is showcased alongside the use of biofertilizers and soil ameliorants to promote proper soil nutrient management.
Through its Rice Program, DA Caraga provided the hybrid rice seeds, biofertilizers, and soil ameliorants used in the CSU demonstration farm, while the university contributed labor costs for its implementation. The site also serves as a venue for training, research, and hands-on learning for farmers, students, agricultural extension workers, and other stakeholders.
CSU President Rolyn C. Daguil expressed appreciation for the partnership, which enables students, researchers, and farmers to observe and learn the practical application of agricultural technologies that can improve productivity and promote efficient resource management.
Noli Orog, DA Caraga regional rice focal person, emphasized the importance of adopting appropriate modern farm allowed farmers to observe technologies suitable for their own rice fields.
The two initiatives support the national government’s efforts under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to modernize agriculture, increase rice production, and improve farmers’ livelihoods by adopting appropriate farming technologies, contributing to a more stable food supply and stronger food security.
Farmers, DA Caraga officials, and personnel led by Regional Executive Director Ricardo M. Oñate Jr., and representatives of the Butuan City Agriculture and Veterinary Department attended the October 15 harvest festival. A separate Hybrid Rice Festival was held on October 20 at the CSU demonstration farm. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte with a report from DA Caraga)
