PH still among the 'best' rice producers: Palace

THE PHILIPPINES  remains to be among the “best” rice producers worldwide, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

This was the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo when he learned that Philippine firm Chen Yi Agventures made history after its Dalisay, a premiere rice breed grown and produced in Alangalang, Leyte, was picked among the top 30 rice varieties in the world.

Philippine-based Dalisay Rice, otherwise known as Renucci rice, has been recognized as the third best out of 30 rice varieties around the world during the World Rice Conference held at the Makati Shangri-La in November last year.

Chen Yi Agventures, the first fully-integrated and sustainable rice business in the Philippines, is the first Filipino company to win at the World Best Rice Contest, ranking behind Thailand and Vietnam.

“The Office of the President acknowledges the efforts of Chenyi Agventures in placing the flag yet again on the pedestal of producing quality rice as it was recognized as one of the world’s best during the 11th Annual World Rice Conference 2019 held in the country last November,” Panelo said.

“Out of the 30 participating countries, the Philippines ranked third with its Renucci Rice entry. Chen Yi Agventures, along with the Philippine Rice Research Institute, should be credited for their achievement during this conference despite only being a last-minute addition,” he added.

In a Facebook post in November last year, Chen Yi Agventures co-owner Rachel Renucci-Tan noted that Dalisay Rice was submitted as an entry to the competition in the last minute, unlike other participants that took two years to perfect their rice sample.

Renucci-Tan recounted that the two-kilogram sample of Dalisay Rice submitted to the board of judges were merely taken from a supermarket.

Panelo congratulated Chen Yi Agventures for its victory, despite the fact that it failed to prepare for its rice sample.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” he said, adding that such recognition merely proves that the Philippines is still one of the top producers of rice around the world.

“As an agricultural country, this recognition should all the more inspire the government to work harder in improving the lot of our farmers and modernizing the agricultural sector,” Panelo added. (By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)