SEEDWORKS Philippines, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it is renewing its partnership with Tarlac’s Caut Farmers Field School (FFS) Marketing Cooperative for the purchase, milling, and marketing of US 88 hybrid rice.
The agricultural research firm said the FFS, a marketing cooperative registered under the Cooperative Development Authority, will help link US 88 rice farmers with rice traders and millers.
US 88, a long-grain hybrid rice variety developed by SeedWorks, increases yield to about 15 metric tons per hectare in optimal conditions, according to the company.
“SeedWorks keeps its commitment to further empower local rice farmers in the countryside by helping link them with millers who can pay higher prices for the premium-quality rice harvests,” SeedWorks Philippines President Carlos L. Saplala said in a statement.
“We have successfully launched this program in 2021 and as promised, we are bringing this promising scheme to more farmers across the country.”
Its planned marketing efforts include linking millers and consumers to reduce intermediaries that add up to retail prices. It also aims to provide the packaging for milled US 88 rice in 25-kilogram sacks, which make the produce easier to sell through retailers and to end consumers.
“So far, the brand of commercial rice has been reaping praises from traders and consumers alike. US 88 rice is gaining popularity and demandin the market as it is noted for its long grain and consistently soft quality when cooked, which also does not easily spoil, helping avoid unnecessary food wastage,” SeedWorks said.
In a separate media release, SeedWorks said that it is launching another alternative farming technique suitable for its TH-82 Tatag hybrid rice variety.
The firm held a dry-direct seeding technology demonstration in a rice farm in Malasiqui and San Carlos, Pangasinan on Wednesday.
“The rice farming demonstration will prove the reliability of TH-82 variety in bringing higher yields to farmers while significantly lowering the usual rice production costs — in irrigation and labor,” SeedWorks said.
Dry-direct seeding is a rice-planting technique designed to address scarcity in water especially in the uplands and other areas where water is scarce or irrigation is not sufficiently maintained.
“Through this field demo, we want every farmer to realize that growing hybrid rice may not require spending more. Through using SeedWorks’ TH-82 hybrid rice variety, farmers can still get high yield while spending less in production cost using dry-direct seeding technology,” Mr. Saplala added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson