Malacañang said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has started developing a "strategy plan" to promote planting hybrid seeds on 1.5 million hectares of rice land during the dry season.
The Palace said this in a statement on Friday, Feb. 17, after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. approved the adoption of hybrid rice varieties that will help local farmers enhance their crop production.
In its statement, Malacañang, citing Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa, said Marcos has ordered to ensure that rice farmers have enough support.
The DA will also launch a financial and credit program to persuade farmers to shift to hybrid rice.
“Sapat na suporta kagaya ng patubig, fertilizer at iba pang ayuda katulad ng (Enough support like water, fertilizer, and other help like) Rice Farmers Financial Assistance," Mesa said.
"Ang mga ito ay nararapat na maibigay sa tamang panahon (These assistance should be provided to them at the right time)," he added.
According to Malacañang, the President, also the DA Secretary, is optimistic that the country will attain its rice self-sufficiency target within two years using hybrid seeds.
The DA is looking at expanding production in Regions 6, 8, 12, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon regions have already adopted the hybrid rice technology.
Apart from expanding financial support to local farmers through the loan financing program, President Marcos committed to bringing the best farming practices used by Central Luzon farmers to the rest of the country.
Based on a joint study by the DA and local government units (LGUs), the hybrid system has produced a 41-percent higher yield than conventional inbred seeds for the past two years.
In 2023, the DA earmarked P30 billion in funds under the National Rice Program to provide hybrid and inbred or certified seeds, production-related and post-harvest machinery, small-scale irrigation, and extension and training activities.
This is on top of the P10B-Rice Enhancement Competitiveness Fund sourced from the excess tariff collected under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which aims to improve farmers' competitiveness.