CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Department of Agriculture (DA) here said in a press statement that for Central Luzon, it targets to plant hybrid seeds in a total of 126,000 hectares for the 2018 wet and dry season.
The DA said that this was disclosed during the conduct of the municipal and city agriculturists and agricultural officers’ monthly meeting recently.
Presided by Bulacan provincial agriculturist Ma. Gloria SF. Carrillo, the topics presented were updates regarding National Food Authority (NFA), National Irrigation Authority Angat Maasim Rivers Irrigation Systerm (NIA-AMRIS), NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (UPRIIS), DA-Rice, high value crops, and fisheries, among others.
Department of Agriculture Central Luzon regional technical director for operations and extension Crispulo G. Bautista, Jr. discussed the DA hybridization program.
“Out of the P1.9-billion budget of the rice program, P500 million is allotted for hybrid seeds that will be distributed for free to qualified farmers," the release quoted Bautista.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), hybrid rice varieties yield about 15 to 20 percent more than even the best of the improved or high-yielding inbred varieties.