With the theme, “Masaganang Palay at Bigas, Maunlad na Pilipinas,” the 16th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) was launched on September 19, 2023 in Hagonoy and Digos City, Davao del Sur.
Spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Regional Field Office (RFO 11), DA-Agricultural Training Institute Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC 11), and the private sector-led Rice Board, the event kicked off with a field tour at the technology demonstration farms in Poblacion, Hagonoy.
The techno demo farms showcased 24 hybrid rice varieties and smart technologies that have been tried and tested to be high-yielding, pest and disease resistant and climate-resilient contributing higher income for farmers and high quality and affordable rice for consumers.
Officials and representatives from the Rice Board, DOST-PAGASA, and DA offices including the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) also played key roles during the event.
The NRTF will culminate on September 21, 2023 in time with the start of the harvest operations at the techno demo site that is expected to produce a minimum of seven tons per hectare. ### (photos by Gian Carlo Luague, DA-AFID)
