Talavera farmers coop promotes hybrid rice

By Sosmio Ma. Pablico

Farmers’ cooperatives in rice producing areas may as well follow the example of a cooperative in Barangay Tabacao, Talavera, Nueva Ecija in promoting hybrid rice so as to help in the national effort to increase rice production.

The  Nagkakaisang  Magsasaka Agricultural  Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative, with total assets now of P56 million after 19 years of existence, has become a strong advocate and promoter of hybrid rice production in Nueva Ecija, according Ricardo “Carding” Buenaventura, coop chairman.

Carding relates that members of the coop started to plant hybrid rice in 2001 using Bigante, the variety of Bayer Crop Science, but they decided in 2004-2005 dry season to  change it with SL 8H, the first variety of SL Agritech, owned and managed by Henry Lim Bon Liong.

Earlier, the coop members saw the performance of SL 8H in a techno demo in Carding’s farm.  Many of the members were so impressed on the yield of the variety such that they no longer needed much thinking when SL Agritech offered a dealership for the coop. 

In the first season, the co-op – NMAPMPC – sold a total 370 bags of SL 8H seeds.  Each bag weighs 20 kilograms (kg) and is good for one hectare.  Thus, in the first season alone the co-op was already instrumental in promoting the production of the new hybrid variety in 370 hectares (ha).  The coop got a rebate of P100 per bag and, hence, earned P37,000.

However, the coop members planted only a little over 200 bags of the seeds as many of them were still to be fully convinced. of the variety even as they already saw its performance.  the rest of the seeds went to farmers in adjoining barangays.

The innovators were so happy about their decision to plant SL 8H because of the high yield they obtained.  For instance, Carding harvested a total 1,440 bags [fresh from the thresher with a moisture content of 18 to 20 percent] from 8 ha or an average of 180 bags/ha.  Coop vice chairman Santiago dela Cruz was even happier as he harvested 248 bags from 1.2 ha or an average 206.67 bags/ha.  In general, the average yield of SL 8H in Tabacao that season was 180 bags/ha.

In the next dry season, 2005-2006, the coop more than doubled its sale of SL 8H seeds – 820 bags.  Amazingly, the average yield even jumped to 190 bags/ha to the delight of the adopters.

The volume of  sold by the coop farther increased to 1,000 bags of seeds in the 2007 dry season as more and more farmers got interested in the variety.  Of this volume, 410 bags went to the members who still got an average yield of 190 bags/ha. 

For this year’s dry season, the coop’s volume of sale still increased to 1,376 bags as it even supplied SL 8H seeds to farmers from the towns of Gen. Natividad, Llanera and Rizal. Almost 400 bags were also planted by co-op members.

Coop members planted almost all of their farms with SL 8H.  Carding alone planted 17 ha of SL 8 and SL 7, an aromatic hybrid.  Amazingly, despite the threat of disease infestation he harvested 138 bags of SL 7 a hectare last wet season, which is still higher than the yield of inbred (75 to 100 bags/ha).

Only a few plant hybrid rice during the wet season for fear that their crops may be infected by the dreaded bacterial leaf blight disease.  One co-op member planted SL 8 last wet season and harvested an average 115 bags/ha, according to Santiago. In 2006 wet season, the coop sold 1,250 bags of SL 8H seeds, but almost all the seeds were sold to farmers outside the co-op. 

The coop buys all the harvest of the members, especially those without any solar dryer, at a price usually higher by P0.25 to P0.50 per kg than whatever the rice mills would offer. 

The coop sells the grains when rice millers have practically nothing to mill anymore.  Their initial experience with SL 8H told them it can be done.  And it would be more profitable.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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