PLARIDEL, Bulacan -- Farmers in the province started seeing increased rice yields, owing to rice farm project of the provincial government.
Almario Sinulungan of barangay Pulong Gubat in Balagtas town reported an increase in palay harvest from his two-hectare land from 217 sacks to 399 sacks this cropping season under the project.
“An increased yield which almost double as against my previous harvest is exceptionally good. Thanks for introducing the farm project to us,” he said.
Mandy Valencia, a farmer from barangay Culianin in Plaridel town with 1.5 hectares of rice land, said he was able to harvest 230 cavans with the crop management practices under the farm project and the use of super hybrid rice seeds.
He harvested previously only an average of 100 cavans per cropping season.
“We would like to thank the government and the SL Agritech Corporation for the support and help they extended to the farmers like us. Our income have increased through the Big Rice Farm (Cluster) Project,” Valencia said.
The project is an innovation introduced by the provincial government of Bulacan, in collaboration of SL Agritech Corporation designed to enhance the farmers’ harvest by introducing more areas planted to hybrid rice seeds.
Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, together with Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman and chief executive officer of SL Agritech Corp., led on Friday the ceremonial harvesting of the 250-hectare Big Rice Farm Cluster Project in Barangay Culianin, Plaridel, this province.
Participants of the project were from the towns of Plaridel, Balagtas, Bustos, Ildefonso and San Rafael.
Alvarado thanked SL Agritech for the modern technology and hybrid rice seeds that give new hopes of a more stable yield for Bulacan farmers.
“The hybrid rice is of good quality and can replace our traditional rice. It is stronger and healthy grain,” the governor said.
Alvarado said the project is financed through prize of the province for being a rice achiever in 2016.
For his part, Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman and chief executive officer of SL Agritech Corp. — the country’s top hybrid rice producer — said “we are happy because the income of our farmers increased due to the use of our hybrid rice seeds.”
“Today, we hope that we could enhance this project here in Bulacan. Our technicians are here willing to help you. I hope that you would patronize for a lifetime the seeds of SL Agritech Corporation,” he said.
Josephine Dungca, vice president for Sales Marketing of SL Agritech, said the rice farm project is first in the province of Bulacan. (PNA)
