By Philippines News Agency
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to form a Regional Task Force (RTF) for the implementation of farmers’ production and exchange of high quality inbred rice seeds or what is called the SEEDEX project.
Regional Rice Program Coordinator Enrique H. Loyola said Thursday that the project, set for implementation during the wet season of 2018 until the dry season of 2022-2023, aims to strengthen the use of quality seeds of appropriate inbred varieties in various rice-producing provinces in the country’s 16 regions, Calabarzon included.
The project is also designed to raise small farmers’ productivity and income, empower 'palay' farmers to shift to high-quality seeds in an informal farmer production and exchange system and enhance access to appropriate inbred rice varieties and highlight advantages of using high-quality seeds.
The task force, to be headed by DA’s Assistant Regional Director for Operations, will include representatives from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Los Baǹos, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) IV-A, Bureau of Plant Industry-National Seed Quality Control Services.