Laguna hub to speed up production of new rice varieties

MANILA  -As Filipino consumers grapple with skyrocketing rice prices amid supply constraints, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is building a facility that will accelerate the period for growing the staple.

The speed breed facility (SBF), located at the institute’s headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, is expected to halve the growing period for new varieties from breeding up to the time it reaches farmers, allowing producers to introduce their product to the market at the fastest time possible.

According to IRRI, it usually takes eight to nine years to develop a new variety using only conventional methods. But with speed breeding, a new variety can be developed in two to four years.

Scheduled to be completed in March next year, the facility is situated on a 587-square meter area that has a capacity to house 120,000 plants.

IRRI said the SBF would operate on solar power, in line with its commitment to adopt eco-friendly practices.

“It is equipped with an advanced automated irrigation and control system and interconnected chambers to ensure improved reliability, precision, quality, environmental consistency and water efficiency in the breeding process,” the IRRI said.

During the inauguration, a traditional coconut chopping ceremony was done where fresh coconut juice was poured in the vicinity of the structure which, according to local culture, signifies new beginnings.

Prices of rice in Metro Manila have breached the P60 per kilogram level as of writing.

Hoping to stabilize prices and boost supply, the Marcos administration earlier announced plans to forge an importation deal with India. The latter currently bans exporting rice.

Based on the Department of Agriculture’s price monitoring as of Friday, local rice is now selling at P41 to P65 per kg compared to last year’s P38 to P50 per kg. Imported rice is sold at P43 to P65 per kg against last year’s P38 to P50 per kg.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort earlier said local prices have increased due to higher input costs from fertilizer, pesticides and petroleum and the damage sustained by the rice sector from storms.

In the Philippines, it takes around three months to plant palay (unhusked rice). Dry planting season begins in late December and ends in early March the following year. Harvest season runs from February to April or early May.

Wet planting season is between June and August, with harvest beginning in late September till early December.

The planting month also varies from one area to another. INQ