-
Bayer joins the 2nd Rice technology Forum and Farmer days in Iloilo, Philippines organized by The Department of Agriculture and the Rice Board
-
Bayer showcases its Arize hybrid rice products to 2,500 farmers
-
Hybrid rice helps increase yields by 33% versus inbred certified seeds, thereby
enabling the Philippines to achieve its goal of rice self-sufficiency
ILOILO CITY, Philippines, April 6, 2016 – Bayer, the global leader in developing rice hybrids, participated in the 2016 Rice Technology Forum and Farmer Field Days in Iloilo. The largest annual rice industry event hosted by the Rice Board and the Department of Agriculture gathered over 2,500 farmers with the theme, “Boosting Rice Productivity in the Visayas through Hybrid Rice.”
Hybrid rice is a type of rice produced by crossbreeding different kinds of rice. Based on reports, hybrid rice varieties have been reported to increase yields by up to 33% versus inbred certified seeds.
Greater production of rice means Filipino farmers are able to earn higher incomes, provide greater supply of local rice in the market, which translates into more affordable prices for consumers. With a population of over 100M, the Philippines needs to increase its produce from the current average of 4.03 tons per hectare of rice to meet the growing consumption demand.
“Western Visayas is one of the major rice producers in the Philippines, next to Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley. Through our public and private partnerships with organizations like the Rice Board, we continue to look into ways to provide Filipino farmers with best practices and technology to augment the Philippines’ food self-sufficiency, security, and global competitiveness”, said Assistant Secretary Edilberto M. De Luna,National Rice and Corn Programs Coordinator, of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
During the forum, farmers cited limited water supply, weather volatility, and rice plant diseases like Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) as among their key challenges to yield security and productivity.
“This year, Bayer demonstrated the Arize Bigante Plus and HaBilis Plus, hybrids with greater tolerance and protection against BLB. These products are suitable for both wet and dry season planting. Farmers also learned about the importance of using fungicides like Nativo to gain even higher yield and better grain quality. The strong demand for our hybrid rice offers show our close alignment with the country’s growing rice production needs. It motivates us to leverage on science to develop technology to help farmers live better lives and contribute to the Philippines’ food sufficiency and security goals,” said Recher Ondap, Head of Seeds for the Crop Science Division of Bayer, and also President of the Rice Board.
##
Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015.