Specials NEWS

By: Vic Thor Palarca

Lowering the price of rice to P20 per kilo would only cause unfavorable impacts to farmers, aspiring vice president Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said.

Peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng PIlipinas (KMP) refuted presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ promise to bring down rice prices to P20 per kilogram (kg).

There are numerous legends surrounding the origin of rice in the Philippines. One such legend comes from the Ibaloi people, who are one of indigenous ethnic groups that make up the Igorots of the Cordillera region. This legend not only depicts the origin of rice, but also touches on the creation of cats and rats, as well as why Igorots perform a harvest ritual called kosday kanyaw.

The Philippines has received 200 tons of rice from the Vietnamese government for the communities hard-hit by Typhoon Odette late last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao has vowed to support rice farmers if he wins in May by ensuring that they will be able to sell their palay (unhusked rice) produce at a fair and reasonable price.

It’s no secret that the Philippine agriculture industry is in need of positive changes if it aims to become robust enough to provide stakeholders with a viable source of income as well as ensure that the country is food secure.

Filipino cuisine has been gaining interest globally, partly due to generations of people of Filipino descent seeking to understand their roots. 

SeedWorks Philippines has cemented its market position in the Philippines after one of its hybrid rice varieties — called US 88 — dominated two of the important hybrid rice derbies in the country.

The country’s rice imports will end up higher than earlier expected at 2.6 million metric tons (MT), making the country still one of the top rice importers in the world.

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has joined the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the distribution of cash grants to Nueva Ecija rice farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA).

The government will distribute direct cash assistance of P5,000 to as many as 59,125 farmers in Nueva Ecija to be funded from the excess rice import tariff collection under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has targeted an unprecedented hybrid rice area of 1.2 to 1.3 million hectares for crop year 2022 after a lull in planting amid the pandemic.

Farmers have asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA) to immediately provide more large-capacity mechanical grain dryers to help them during this palay harvest season, which is facing the onset of La Nina.

Prompted by wanderlust and inspired by a memorable all-Filipino birthday and thanksgiving dinner at The Maynila Ballroom of The Manila Hotel

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) has distributed farm machines worth P439.8 million in Leyte, benefitting 131 qualified farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from 38 municipalities and cities of the province.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is coming up with ways on how to help rice farmers cope with the rising cost of fertilizer in the Philippines – one of which is to possibly encourage farmers’ cooperatives to import fertilizers directly.

Revenue collection from imported rice increased this year despite decline in the price of the staple food in the world market, the Department of Finance (DOF) reported Thursday, Oct. 21.