TWELVE HECTARES located in composite areas in the main campus in Batac were planted this year with high-yielding varieties. Of this number, nine hectares are intended for food production, and three for seed production.

The nine hectares are planted with the NSIC 160 inbred variety, while the three hectares are planted with foundation varieties of NSIC 160, PSB Rc 82, NSIC 298, NSIC 218, and NSIC 216. Upon harvest, seeds of these varieties will be classified as registered seeds and will be sold or loaned to farmers who are beneficiaries of the university’s rice SEEDNET project.

According to Mr. Ben T. Cocson, in-charge of the farms’ labor workforce, the university expanded the production areas from six hectares to nine, because of the availability of rainfall that flooded the campus last July and the increased demand of farmers for high quality rice varieties from the university.

Although the preparation of the areas has lagged behind the projected production time schedule, the university still expects a bountiful harvest this year.

Each year, the university rice production project yields some 130 to 150 sacks of palay from a one-hectare farm using high yielding varieties and pest resistant varieties.

Because of the increase of production areas, the University will likely produce 67.5 tons (1,350 sacks) of unmilled rice this year which are intended for food, while 22.5 tons (450 sacks) of registered seeds are intended for the SEEDNET project.

Since the university is selling a slightly lower price of rice than the local commercial markets, grain traders in the province are looking for signs that they might not need to import rice from other provinces, which usually give potentially exceeding prices above what is prescribed by the National Foods Authority.

In the previous copping seasons, the university’s rice output was boosted by ample rains that led to the bountiful harvests. This year, the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation systems in the campus, along with better rains, were the primary factors behind the farm production sector’s recovery. (By Reynaldo E. Andres)