Heirloom rice has market outside, inside PH
By Vincent CabrezaOrganic heirloom rice production has found a niche market abroad, gauging by the slow but steady increase in volume of indigenous rice exports.
Organic heirloom rice production has found a niche market abroad, gauging by the slow but steady increase in volume of indigenous rice exports.
The National Food Authority (NFA) is set to source 187,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam.
Rice producers and traders are to export rice in May, the first time the commodity would be exported in large volumes in 40 years, a high official of the Department of Agriculture announced here on Saturday.
The Department of Agriculture is allocating P500 million for programs that will encourage more farmers to plant hybrid rice varieties, as the government moves to attain national rice sufficiency by the end of the year.
The Philippines is set to import 187,000 metric tons of rice as buffer stock for this year’s lean season, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said on Thursday.
How does a tall glass of Isabela Secret cocktail sound to you? Or do you prefer the extra kick of a Sarangani Punch cocktail? These are just some of the Tapuy Cocktail blends being launched by PhilRice, a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture. Their research on the different uses of rice led to an improved version of tapuy, a naturally fermented alcoholic beverage made from cooked glutinous rice and starter culture locally known as “bubod.” This local rice wine is often served during feasts by the mountain tribes in the Cordilleras.
In line with the government’s goal of achieving zero rice importation after 2013, the Department of Agriculture plans to expand the coverage of its third cropping program for rice next year to 300,000 hectares of land from only about 91,495 hectares at present.
I met him during a Coffee Training sponsored by the DTI-CAR and Philippine Coffee Board Inc.(PCBI) in Tuguegarao a few months back. I realized this as I went through my camera photos and saw the same bearded man who I had a chance to get to know better during our daily breakfasts in our hotel while attending Salone del Gusto Terra Madre 2012.
Key agribusiness groups from the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand have formed a consortium to develop a formidable Southeast Asian rice supply chain using the proprietary hybrid and premium rice technology of local firm SL Agritech Corp.
Metro Pacific Investment Corp. is eyeing the development of 2,000 hectares of farmland in Maragusan, Compostela Valley, into a hybrid rice production area, Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy said.
Contrary to popular notion, the goal of the Philippines to produce sufficient volume of rice to end its dependency on imports by 2013 is actually imprudent.
A financing company recently went under, but its principals have, so far, managed to keep the whole thing hush hush.
