Written by Radel Llagas
Some 20 seed growers from Quezon, Batangas and Cavite attended the 3-day retooling course on inbred rice seed production spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office No. IV-A (DA CALABARZON) on April 10-12, 2018 in Calamba, Laguna.
One of the challenges faced by the rice industry is lack or decline of certified seed growers to help support rice production.
With the aim to increase rice seed production, the DA CALABARZON invited experts from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) and National Seed Quality Control Services (NSQCS) to discuss topics relative to seed production and certification.
Participants had a review and gained more knowledge on inbred rice seed production, new varieties, post-harvest equipment handling, pest and disease management and policies and guidelines on seed testing and certification.
Uldarica Mindanao Llanes, 48 yrs. old from Sariaya, Quezon said that the retooling was really helpful for certified seed growers like her since aside from keeping abreast of knowledge on seed production and technology, the training also served as a step forward to be re-accredited as certified seed grower under NSQCS.
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