Jun Torres

Mayor Librador Santos has couraged farmers in this town “to go hybrid.”

This came after he was impressed by the benefits that the farmers get from planting the high-yielding rice seeds variety.

In a brief talk before members of the Pinagkaisa N.E. Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PNEPMPC) during a recent meeting sponsored by SL Agritech Corp., Mayor Santos said he was happy to learn that farmers in his town have substantially increased their production and income through the planting of the hybrid rice variety.

“Talaga naman, ngayon ko lang nalaman na malaki na pala ang inyong mga kinikita sa pagtatanim ng hybrid rice. Dahil dito, natutuwa ako at ‘yan naman ang gusto ko, umunlad lahat ang inyong pamumuhay,” he said, adding “I will now look for a farm where I will also plant hybrid rice.”

Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali is another official who has endorsed the planting of hybrid rice which “will move our province further towards economic prosperity.”

“Magkaisa nating i-angat ang antas ng agrikutura sa ating lalawigan sa pagtatanim ng mataas na uri ng palay kagaya ng kasalukuyang ninyong tinatanim,” he told farmer-members of the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Multi-Purpose Cooperative (NMMPC) in Barangay Tabacao, Talavera, Nueva Ecija during the last harvest festival sponsored by SL Agritech.

Ricardo Buenaventura, cooperative president, said the average harvest in their 1,000-hectare rice farm was 180 cavans per hectare.

“Ang iba naming kasama ay umani ng 225 cavans kada ektarya. Ito ay kumpara sa dati naming inaaning inbred rice variety na imaabot lamang lagi sa 70-80 cabanes kada ektarya,” he said.