TAGUM CITY - An agricultural research firm, SeedWorks Philippines, said it has started forging partnerships with rice traders and millers as part of its unrelenting commitment to further empower local rice farmers in the countryside.
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| Daddy Palange, from Palange Rice Mill in Valencia City in Bukidnon province, points to a stack of 'US 88' milled rice in 25kg packaging. |
SeedWorks said it is currently in the initial stage of a program linking its rice farmers with different millers that are willing to buy “US 88” palay (unhusked rice produce)
₱1-peso higher compared to average local price.
This initiative, it added, paves the way for
the distribution of milled US 88 rice in standard 25-kilogram sacks to retailers,
which in turn sell the commodity to the consumers.
SeedWorks Brand Manager, Raj Nuñez, said: “They
are linking farmers who seek higher price for their US 88 harvests with millers
that prefer premium-quality rice. Most millers find it a win-win deal because
US 88 palay mills into long-grain rice, which is also perfectly soft when
cooked—ideal for the meticulous rice consumers.”
He said the company also provides specially
designed milled rice sacks to millers and traders. The commodity is branded as
US 88 Premium Quality Rice (classified as hybrid Dinorado), which is fast
gaining popularity in the market because of its highly appreciated qualities.
This strategy, according to Nuñez, is aimed at
further helping uplift the quality of lives of local rice farmers, who are
constantly facing challenges. He said US 88 has been proven to significantly
increase yield up to about 15 metric tons per hectare in optimal conditions
from the national average of just 4.08 metric tons based on December 2020 data
released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
SeedWorks President, Carlos Saplala, also said this
strategic program is currently rolling out in Mindanao, Central Luzon, and
Bicol and will soon bring it to other regions to help rice farmers and support
the country’s rice self-sufficiency program. “We are supporting the country’s
goal of self-sufficiency with high-yielding varieties that we have. At the same
time, our company supports and empowers our farmers by helping them sell their
harvests at a much better price,” he said. (Malou Cablinda)
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