Sunday, May 20, 2007 Hybrid rice farmers continue to earn more income
FARMER-members of the Bagong Buhay Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Mabini, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija are again overwhelmed with the benefits that they are reaping from their hybrid rice farms. As a model hybrid rice cluster, more than 200 hectares of rice fields were planted to hybrid rice this 2007 dry cropping season. Farmers have harvested an average yield of 180 cavans per hectare (cav/ha) at 56 kilograms per cavan (kg/cav).
According to Jojo Garcia who is the chairman of the said cluster, he got an average yield of 200 cav/ha in his 12 ha farm. He said that the highest yield in the cluster was 246 cav/ha while the lowest was 173 cav/ha, which is still much higher than what they would usually get from ordinary or inbred rice varieties.
One member of the cluster, Mabini barangay chairman Sebastian Garcia harvested 205 cav of 56 kg/cav equivalent to 11.5 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha). If Garcia sells his fresh produce at P10.30/kg, he would get a gross income of P118,244. Deducting the hybrid rice cost of production of P45,000/ha, he would enjoy a net income of P73,244. Farmers who grow ordinary rice usually net P15-25,000/ha only.
With farmers forming clusters of at least 100 hectares, they get a consolidated and coordinated assistance from one another and from the government through the Department of Agriculture-Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (DA-GMA) Rice Program. The DA provides them adequate irrigation, postharvest facilities, farm-to-market roads, credit, and marketing assistance.
