July 13, 2022—Philippines, SeedWorks PH extended their partnership with the Caut Farmers Field School (FFS) Marketing Cooperative in Caut, Tarlac, and later launched the Dry-Direct Seeding Rice Technology Demonstration in San Carlos, Pangasinan, with the goal of empowering local farmers.
“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,” said SeedWorks Philippines President Carlos Saplala. “We have successfully launched this program in 2021 and as promised, we are bringing this promising scheme to more farmers across the country.”
Trade Partnership with Tarlac-based Rice Farmers’ Coop
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by both parties on July 13, the agricultural research firm will assist in connecting US 88 rice farmers with rice dealers and millers eager to purchase US 88 palay (unhusked rice output) at prices higher than the current farm gate prices.
In turn, SeedWorks PH will assist the traders and millers by promoting US 88 rice produce. Marketing strategies involve connecting millers and customers (thus removing intermediaries that add to retail prices) and providing milled US 88 rice in 25-kilogram bags in specially designed milled rice sacks which makes the product easier to sell through stores and to consumers.
“This unique initiative that SeedWorks Philippines is making is probably one of the few examples that would actually help solve the biggest crisis not only among productivity but also the farmers to get the right price for his produce, and hence making farming aspirational.” said Rajan Narayan , the CFO of SeedWorks International.
Based on the December 2020 data from Philippine Statistics Authority, the US 88 hybrid rice variety from SeedWorks has been shown to dramatically enhance yield up to 15 metric tons per hectare (in optimal conditions).
Local rice farmers could thereby boost their earnings with this enhanced produce that is actually more than three times the national yield average of 4.08 metric tons.
“We are happy to continuously spread the good news about US 88 and help our local rice farmers overcome the common issues they face. We welcome Caut-FSS Marketing Cooperative to this program. At the same time, we are also inviting more local farmers and traders to join this cause,” Saplala concluded.
Dry-Direct Seeding Rice Technology Demonstration in Pangasinan
Last July 13, SeedWorks PH conducted a dry-direct seeding technology demonstration in a rice farm in Barangay Cabatling in Malasiqui, Pangasinan and in Barangay Nelintap in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, proving the reliability of the TH-82 variety in bringing higher yields to farmers while significantly lowering the usual rice production costs—in irrigation and labor.
Dry direct seeding is an agricultural technique in which non-pre-germinated dry rice seeds are planted in dry soil, which is a significantly cheaper alternative for farmers because it reduces the labor cost to puddle-transplant or wet-sow rice plants.
“Through this field demo, we want every farmer to realize that growing hybrid rice may not require spending more,” says Carlos Saplala. “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.”
More efficient rice farming with SeedWorks’ TH-82 hybrid rice variety
“TH-82 has been proven to survive and perform well compared to other rice varieties in the market, based on results in many field trials.”
The TH-82 hybrid rice variety from SeedWorks is well known for its seed vigor, robust root system, and capacity to produce good yields under adverse weather conditions. This was also proven in a prior dry-seeding farming trial in Central Mindanao, where TH-82 generated more than 6 metric tons per hectare. In comparison, the average maximum yield of indigenous rice varieties, which are rain-dependent, is just 2.5 metric tons per hectare.
“I can truly claim that the TH-82 hybrid rice variety is advised to farmers like me because dry-direct seeding technique has a significant impact on farmers like me since it allows me to cut costs on my produce while producing higher yields.” says Jorge Mendoza, a farmer from Barangay Nelintap in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
