THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Sunday said it would allocate P82.5 million more to boost rice production in farms in Iloilo province.
In a statement, the agency said the extra budget would fund 16,500 hectares more allotted for hybrid rice production in the province.
The agency said this would increase the farm area planted with unmilled rice by “more than 50%.”
“Weather permitting, the additional hectarage that will be planted with hybrid varieties should increase our rice harvest during this dry season,” Dennis R. Arpia, executive director for Region VI, said.
He added that attaining five metric tons (MT) per hectare on hybrid seeds would suffice despite the potential yield of 10 MT per hectare for the seed variety, citing the unpredictable weather in Western Visayas.
The average yield of palay in Iloilo was 3.4 MT per hectare in 2023, below the national average yield of 4.2 MT per hectare.
“If rains come during the flowering stage, they could significantly impact yields,” Mr. Arpia said.
Iloilo is among the country’s top rice-producing provinces, producing 1.07 million MT last year or 5.33% of the total 20.06 million MT output in 2023.
The DA said the potential yield for rice in the province could be improved with higher-yield varieties, better irrigation, proper nutrition and recommended cultural management practices.
The department said some areas in Western Visayas have begun planting palay for the incoming dry season, while farmers have been delayed in their harvest due to El Niño. — Adrian H. Alternate
