THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said on Monday it is set to establish a model farming in Isabela to help farmers increase their productivity and profitability.
PhilRice Isabela science research specialist Andres L. de la Cruz said the farming community will be anchored on integrated and diversified rice-based farming system, called the Palayamanan Plus—an upgrade from the Palayamanan System.
“Palayamanan is a diversified integrated rice-based farming system focusing on small-scale rice-farming households directed toward farm diversification to increase farm productivity and address food security,” de la Cruz said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Palayamanan Plus, de la Cruz said, is a farming system model that consolidates small farm holders into a large-scale intensified rice-based agricultural biology system.
De la Cruz said it aims to increase the income and the profitability of farmers through the integration and diversification of certain farming components to allow higher crop productivity, enhanced resource use efficiency and value-adding.
The project was initiated through the support of the local government unit of Quirino, Isabela, the
PhilRice said.
The project will include 20 hectares of rice area covered by the San Juan Irrigators Association (IA). About 35 farmers will be enrolled in farmers’ field school, where they will learn how to adopt to the Palayamanan Plus system. All enrolled farmers will be gathered to form an organization, the PhilRice said.
San Juan IA President Rogelio A. Maluyo said the average yield in the area only reaches 5 tons per hectare, so the association is “hopeful” that the project will help the farmers in their barangay.
“Aside from having crop combinations, such as rice-mungbean or rice-melon, the said project will also include livestock integration, mushroom production and organic fertilizer production,” de la Cruz said.
He added that PhilRice Isabela will provide the initial planting materials and animal stocks, while the inputs will be provided as a loan to the farmers.
“Come harvest time, or when livestock are sold, the loan payment will be retained by the organization subjected to the rolled-over scheme as part of their operational capital,” de la Cruz said. Mary Grace Padin
The project is a component of the study, “Accelerating Development, Demonstration, and Adoption of Palayamanan Plus in Lowland Farms,” which is led by Rizal G. Corales and Dr. Aurora M. Corales, both supervising science research specialists of PhilRice.