ILOILO CITY – The provincial government is eyeing hybrid planting to boost rice production.
ILOILO Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. distributes hybrid seeds to farmer-beneficiaries in San Miguel town, Iloilo province in June. (DA-6)
“We want to maximize rice production in Iloilo,” said Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.
The governor disclosed this to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Press Corps Inc. following his recent meeting with Dennis Arpia, the new Department of Agriculture (DA)-6 director.
Defensor said that he hopes to have extension discussions with DA-6 officials, especially that the provincial government launched a P30-million hybrid rice seed program last June.
The program is part of Province-Led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Systems (PAFES).
Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, chief of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office, said that PAFES targets 3,000 hectares of the 6,000 hectares as hybrid rice program sites for the first cropping.
If all goes well with the hybrid rice program, Iloilo is looking to produce 5.5 metric tons of rice next year.
For the past years, Iloilo province has been one of the country’s top rice producers.
With hybrid rice, Defensor said there may be a possibility Iloilo could be No. 1.