Aligned with its efforts to continue educating communities about the opportunities for food security, SL Agritech Corporation, together with the Department of Agriculture (DA), hosted a Study Tour for the delegates from the Gambia Standards Bureau, through the Department of Trade and Industry - Bureau of Philippines Standards. This study tour is in line with Gambia’s Rice Value Chain Transformation Project which aims to contribute to the improvement of the production, processing, and marketing of rice in order to enhance the economic growth of the country.
Gambia’s Rice Value Chain Transformation Project is the country’s effort towards increasing its rice production by slowly transitioning from subsistence rice farming towards more commercialized market-driven farming. The project will develop the commercialization of the rice sub-sector by enhancing the private sector and other stakeholders’ participation in the production, processing, and marketing of rice thereby improving incomes and employment opportunities for all stakeholders, especially the youth and women.
The study tour aims to provide the delegates with an overview of the programs, activities, and projects created by the DA that highlight the standards for food safety and quality control, specifically the production and distribution of rice. This opportunity offers a new perspective for the Gambia delegates as they were shown how the Philippines distinguishes itself in the research, development, and management of innovative seed and rice products.
The SL Agritech was chosen as a partner for this tour to allow the Gambia delegates to study the quality of the rice production of the company. Being ISO-certified, HALAL-certified, and a GMP-accredited company, SL Agritech is in the position to share its expertise with the delegates.
“We are honored to have been able to share with the delegates from the Gambia Standards Bureau our proven process in researching and developing new technologies and innovations to create premium and high-quality rice products,” shares SL Agritech Executive Vice President (EVP) Michelle Lim-Gankee. “This was also a great opportunity to show the importance of creating strategic partnerships among the public and private sectors to help in attaining sustainable growth and progress in our local food products such as rice”, she added.
The delegates from Gambia were also able to tour the facilities of SL Agritech’s plant in Nueva Ecija where they were able to witness the process of developing the Agri company’s products from the harvesting and milling of palay to the packing and distribution of their well-known rice, Doña Maria.
SL Agritech continues to be open to the opportunity to share its knowledge and insights on promoting the development, commercialization, and growth of seeds, specifically hybrid rice technology as well as the production of premium quality rice. Furthermore, they remain committed to bringing employment and entrepreneurship to rural areas and stimulating economic growth. “As a proponent of improving the agricultural sector, we want to be able to spread our ideas and increase local rice production so that we can work toward our objective of achieving rice self-sufficiency for the next generation”, shares Michelle Lim-Gankee.
Currently, SL Agritech produces hybrid rice seed varieties such as SL-8H, SL-19H, SL-20H, and SL-68H. They also dominate the hybrid rice market with their premium rice varieties Doña Maria Premium Rice and Willy Farms.