DA seeks farmlands to test Irri varieties

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking to expand its partnership with nonprofit agricultural research institute International Rice Research Institute (Irri) to utilize technology to boost rice output.

In a statement on Friday, the DA said it is looking for a cluster of farmlands to showcase IRRI’s seed varieties and technologies to produce more of this staple food, especially in the face of climate change.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the expanded partnership can be realized by the second half of this year while Cao Duc Phat, chair of IRRI’s board of trustees, said the DA proposal was “the best music to our ears.”

READ: DA, IRRI join forces to boost rice output 

The DA, through the Masagana program, is striving to achieve the target of 97 percent self-sufficiency in rice by 2028.

READ: 500000 MT of rice imports coming as El Niño buffer – DA

As of 2022, the country’s rice self-sufficiency level reached 77 percent, but official data showed that palay production hit a record 20.06 million metric tons (MT) in 2023, an increase of 1.5 percent from 19.76 million MT in 2022. —JORDEENE B. LAGARE