Salembai Abdullah and Jaime Manalo IV | PhilRice
Nearly 500 farmers, agricultural technicians, municipal agriculturists, journalists, and students from Central, Southern, and Western Mindanao and the ARMM gathered at PhilRice Midsayap in North Cotabato for its Field Day and Pest Clinic on April 18, 2007. PhilRice Midsayap is PhilRice’s pest management center.
With the theme, “Maayong Teknolohiya Katabang sa Mapadayunon ug Maasensong Pagpanguma” (Good technologies as partners in sustainable and progressive rice farming), the Pest Clinic showcased major activities of the station.
On exhibit are the popular rice varieties in Mindanao, which are Matatag 3 and 6, known for their tungro resistance. Also explained are experimental plots on managing stemborer, rice black bug, and tungro. Farm machineries were demonstrated as well, such as the combine harvester, rice reaper, flatbed dryer, seed cleaner and separator, and seed storage facilities.
Farmers were also toured around the station’s Palayamanan model farm, which showcases rice, vegetable, inland fish, livestock, and vermiculture plots.
Meanwhile, the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA) and Kambyo Binhi (Palay for Seeds) were also launched. OpAPA enables farmers to access rice information using information and communications technology. It includes the Pinoy Farmers’ Call Center where farmers can get first hand information on rice from rice experts through texting.
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