Japonica growers thank KOPIA

The Japonica Rice Growers Association (JRGA) in Bohol profusely expressed gratitude to the South Korean Government through the Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) who gave farm facilities and introduced Japonica Rice and its technology to the province.
Exequiel Bahalla, JRGA president expressed thanks during the Farmers’ Field Day on Japonica Rice Seed Production and Adaptability Trials of Korean Rice Cultivars on May 9, 2017 in barangay Catoogan, Trinidad town.
The association formally received a seed separator machine and an automatic power thresher from KOPIA officials led by KOPIA Country Director Dr. Jeong Taek Lee.
Bahalla bared that previous Farmers’ Day events were conducted in Katipunan, Carmen (last year); San Isidro, Pilar (2015); and in Gabi, Ubay in 2014. The KOPIA also turned over rice transplanters, mechanical thresher and seedling trays to their association further underscoring their roles as partners in developing the agricultural sectors.
He said the 50-strong members of the association thanked KOPIA for bringing the technology to the province while growers struggled through slips and falls at the start of the program, but now holds the knowledge on how to produce more rice yield in the usual production area.
Bahalla expressed high hopes for wider area for planting Japonica Rice in this wet cropping season, from the 60 hectares of the previous cropping season.
He mentioned that the top four towns planting Japonica Rice are Alicia, Ubay, Pilar and San Miguel.
Marjoe Rey Labonite, Agricultural Technologist-Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), is optimistic that the Boholano farmers have already lured to plant this variety because Japonica Rice has a good eating quality, early maturing (100 days from sowing), non-shuttering and has a high milling recovery of 68 percent.
Labonite added that it is advantageous to plant this rice variety because it commands higher price and has available market. He said that it has a big disparity in terms of pricing compared to other rice varieties of which the price of Japonica milled-rice is P80 per kilo and its palay to be sold at P27.50/kl. while hybrid milled-rice can be bought at P45/kl. and its palay price at P21/kl. much more with local varieties of rice.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas underscored KOPIA for the individual and collective sharing of their expertise and technology of the project to the Boholano farmers geared toward addressing food shortage.
KOPIA Country Director Lee and Saemaul Undong expert Ho Lee assured the continuity of their program because they love to share what they have experienced, thus in the Philippines the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Iloilo and Bohol were chosen as beneficiaries being three pilot sites of the project that aims to improve farmers’ income and economic status of the farmers. (Atoy Cosap)