Farmers who graduated from the Farmer Field School (FFS) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) reported that the training courses and the PalayCheck primers helped in increasing their yield.

“The PalayCheck primer has been our guide in modern rice farming. It tackles topics from seed selection to post-harvest. It is  my routine to read first the primer before visiting my farm every morning,” Edgard Quilana, 55, farmer-member of Nueva Segovia Consortium Cooperative in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, shared.

He also shared that the FFS he attended, together with the reading materials provided during the training, were instrumental in doubling his harvest.

“I harvested 100 cavans from my 1.1-ha farm this season. Prior to the training, I only harvested 50 cavans,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Ronald Quitasol, 43, said the reading materials helped him grow as a farmer.

“There’s so much to learn from the RCEF leaflets. It made me improve my farming skills, especially in pest and nutrient management. I learned from the primer the right element, amount, and timing in fertilizer application. I also share with my fellow farmers the knowledge I gained from the primer,” he said.

Quitasol explained that by following the recommended practices from the training and the PalayCheck primer, his harvest also doubled from that of the previous season.

“My farm is more productive this season. From my 0.8-ha farm, I was able to harvest more than 60 cavans,” he added.

“We are very grateful that we have been given the opportunity to be trained and learn more on modern technologies in rice farming. We are also thankful for the free certified inbred seeds that RCEF has been giving us. I hope that this program will continue to benefit more rice farmers,” he said.

RCEF Seed Program and RESP are components of Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, which allots P10-billion fund every year for the rice farmers. Sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Villar, RCEF is a six-year government initiative to help the farmers compete in the international rice market.

DA-PhilRice, the government’s lead agency on rice research and development, leads the RCEF-Seed Program and assists in RESP. With eight stations across the country, its programs and projects are in line with the DA’s “Masaganang Ani, Mataas na Kita” battlecry. (Franzel Monique Bonilla, PhilRice)