Tagbilaran City, Bohol, The Philippines
October 7, 2011
Despite a relatively high yield characteristic of hybrid seeds, adopting the less costly certified and registered seeds is still consistent with the end goal of increasing harvests.
And the move in fact is more in line with Bohol’s adopted sustainable agriculture policy, says Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog at the Kapihan sa PIA Thursday.
Asked whether the option for the certified or registered seeds is consistent with the national policies, Quirog stressed that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its local offices including the devolved Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) all push for these seeds.
The DA has an ongoing program on community seed banking and seed buffer stocking system where seeds of these kinds [certified and registered] are provided for farm adoption.
Both certified and registered seeds have proven themselves to provide high yields similar to hybrid, and they cost about a third less than hybrid seeds, explained assistant provincial agriculturist Larry Pamugas, during the weekly forum aired live over DyTR.
The issue came as authorities explained anew the controversy roused by a statement that Bohol’s 2.5 ton average yield for every hectare of rice field is by far the lowest all over the country, as reported by a local paper.
The statement was accordingly quoted from a PhilRice executive who visited Bohol for a harvest festival which featured a hybrid seed demonstration farm, few weeks ago.
Earlier, Agricultural Promotion Center (APC) manager Engr. Eugene Cahiles said the option for the high yielding seed varieties alone could make the difference in harvests.
By high yielding seed varieties, Engr. Cahiles means hybrid seeds or certified seeds, which have been tested to provide equally huge harvests in demonstration farms and field tests in Bohol.
While the APC aggie expert talked of hybrid seeds, he was quick to clarify that in Bohol, the APC support for hybrid is for research purposes and that they assist farmers by providing them with alternative options for farmers.
As such, authorities said they would help private sectors going for hybrid only as far as the technology of fertilization, should they ask for assistance.
Bohol has since adopted a sustainable agriculture policy and the limiting cost of hybrid seeds can be its bane, farmers have disclosed.
Besides, hybrid, certified or registered seeds yields can always be dependent on the kind of soil it is planted, adds assistant provincial agriculturist Larry Pamugas at the forum.
Rice is location specific and so, farmer adoptors would rather seek the right information as to the kind of seed for adoption from farm technicians and neighboring farms to be assured that the seeds he intends to adopt can provide the harvest he envisions.
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