Monday, April 21, 2003
Arroyo endorses 'wonder rice' in Kalinga
BAGUIO -- Kalinga province, the rice granary of the Cordilleras, has been chosen as one of the pilot areas for the propagation of the Gloria's 'super hybrid rice', in line with the Arroyo administration's food sufficiency program.
No less than President Arroyo, in a press conference at The Mansion in Baguio City recently, endorsed the propagation of the "super hybrid rice" in the Cordilleras and rest of the country, saying that farmers are assured of six to 10 metric tons of palay per hectare if they patronize the hybrid variety.
Arroyo explained that farmers propagating non-hybrid varieties only harvest three to four metric tons of palay per hectare.
"The abundance of food for the people, particularly rice, is indeed one of the many great blessings that we must be thankful," she stressed.
This year alone, Arroyo reported, about 50,000 hectares nationwide were propagated with the super hybrid rice. As such, the country is assured of a surplus in rice production, she claimed.
A brochure of SL Agritech Corp., distributor of the wonder rice, claimed the country's current level of rice importation is 600,000 metric tons per year. With the propagation of the wonder rice, the volume of rice importation is decreased.
Henry Lim Bon Liong, chief executive officer and chairman of SL Agritech Corp., reported that traditional farming utilizes about 120 to 160 kilos of rice seeds per hectare, while hybrid rice only utilizes 20 kilos to fill up one hectare.
The hybrid rice seedlings are sold to farmers at a subsidized cost of 50 to 60 pesos per kilo.
The other pilot areas include Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Camarines Sur and Mindoro Occidental. All areas proved to be successful, with overwhelming results, Arroyo added.
Prof. Yuan Longping, the world's famous scientist in agriculture and a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay for Government Service, was also present during the press conference. HFP of Sun.Star Baguio
(April 21, 2003 issue)
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