Sunday, October 19, 2014

Korean Gov’t, PhilRice Prepare Quality Seeds For WV Rice Farmers

Korean Gov’t, PhilRice Prepare Quality 
Seeds For WV Rice Farmers

In support to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) goal of improving food security in the Philippines, the Korea Project for International Agriculture (KOPIA) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) developed seed varieties to be distributed to farmers in the rainfed and irrigated lowland conditions in Western Visayas.

The KOPIA funded P254,666 for the seed production of PSB Rc 14 and NSIC Rc 214 during the wet season this year in the 2.5 ha. demo farm at Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC), Hamungaya, Jaro, Iloilo City.

Managed by the Rural Development Administration of Korea, the KOPIA was launched in 2009 and it has centers in Vietnam, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Brazil, Paraguay, Congo, Algeria, Cambodia and in the Philippines.

On October 6, 31 Korean delegates are expected to grace the KOPIA Seed Production Project Farmers Field Day at WESVIARC. There will be a field demonstration of rice combine harvester and thresher in the said seed production area.

KOPIA Project Leader in the Philippines Dr. Norvie L. Manigbas, Center Director, Dr. Jeong Taek Lee, PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr., Dr. Yeo Un Sang of International Rice Research Institute and Dr. Jeong Eung Gi of the Rice Research Division in South Korea will discuss to farmers various seed production technologies. DA Regional Executive Director Larry P. Nacionales, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog will also attend the said activity.

Around 130 participants from the towns of Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Passi City, Cabatuan and San Miguel are expected to attend the field day. These six municipalities are also beneficiaries of the Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) Project of the DA.
Meanwhile, the KOPIA will turn over one unit of soil analyzer and rice transplanter to one farmers’ organization of the Municipality of Dingle. /MP


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