The Philippine
Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) cautioned farmers to be more careful in
buying seeds after the agency had found a rampant unauthorized use of its sacks
in Nueva Ecija and Isabela.
When transacting with seed dealers,
PhilRice advised farmers to contact the Farmers` Text Center at 0920-9111398 to
verify prices, rice varieties being sold, and quality of the seeds.
Investigations by a Fact Finding Committee
showed that hybrid rice seeds claimed to be from PhilRice were mixed with other
varieties and sold at P6,000 per 20 kg. PhilRice-produced hybrid rice seeds
cost only P195 a kilo.
“We sell registered seeds to growers and
they in turn produce certified seeds, which are widely sold to farmers. It
could be that sacks with PhilRice ‘brand’ and certification tags are bogus.
Rest assured that we are after entities who claim that they are selling
PhilRice-produced seeds, although these are not really PhilRice-produced and
may not even be PhilRice varieties,” Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr, PhilRice
executive director, said.
Recently, the country`s lead agency in rice
research and development found that Javan Agri Trading Company used PhilRice
sacks in distributing Mestiso 24, a hybrid rice variety to a cooperative in
Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Analysis of the sample seeds showed that seeds were
actually PSB Rc240, an inbred variety.
The cooperative members said that they were
encouraged to buy the seeds despite of the high price because they were
delivered “right in their doorsteps”; reducing their travelling cost.
“We have asked the authorities to
investigate on this. For the meantime, our farmers can contact our Text Center
or check PhilRice-produced available seeds
in http://www.philrice.gov.ph/index.php?page=products&page2=seeds,” Rasco
said.
To ensure purity and cleanliness, Rasco
said that PhilRice-produced seeds undergo a month-analysis conducted by
National Seed Quality Control Services, a division under the Bureau of Plant
Industry that oversees seed and planting material production, processing,
storage, and distribution.
“We assure our farmers that our seeds have
a minimum germination rate of 85 percent. High quality seeds can
contribute to a 5-10 percent increase in grain yield, so this is why, we
maintain our standards on seeds,” Rasco said.
Other than agriculture establishments and
seed centers, farmers can also buy seeds at PhilRice stations in Science City of
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; Batac, Ilocos Norte; San Mateo, Isabela; Los Baños, Laguna;
Murcia, Negros Occidental; RTRomualdez, Agusan del Norte; Midsayap, North
Cotabato; and Ligao City, Albay.
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