About 700 rice farmers and development workers have passed resolutions to promote rice production technologies and implementation of the hybrid rice program in Central Mindanao.

The resolutions, made during the recent region’s rice congress at the University of Southern Mindanao, include urging irrigators’ associations, municipal and provincial government units and the National Irrigation Administration to implement synchronous rice planting and encourage the promotion of Palayamanan models; requesting the National Government to support hybrid and inbred rice as components of local government units’ agriculture programs; and requesting agriculture secretary Arthur C. Yap through GMA hybrid rice program director Frisco Malabanan to continue the program’s implementation in Cotabato province.

Cotabato Governor Daisy Fuentes noted that there are constraints in increasing the province’s rice productivity such as limited land area and soil problems such as undesirable soil characteristics.

Focusing on the implementation of synchronous planting and Palayamanan models, the resolutions were based on the success stories presented by farmers during the congress.

Armando Rivac, one of the farmers of Barangay Maguling, Maitum Sarangani, said their 200-hectare compact yielded four-five tons/ha after the irrigator’s association in their barangay strictly implemented synchronous planting.

Nestor Nombreda cited the benefits of rice-vegetables-livestock farming system.

A resolution concerning hybrid rice production was also unanimously adopted to advance the implementation of hybrid rice program in the region.

PhilRice executive director Leocadio Sebastian said the country’s rice program plan for 2005 to 2007, dubbed Converging for Higher Rice Productivity, uses a cluster approach, which allows the government to pour its resources in focused areas. In this approach, a compact area of at least 100 hectares will be identified as the center of government’s technological and financial interventions.