ROLLING HER sleeves and toiling under sunny skies, President Miriam E. Pascua, together with other university officials, and CAF faculty and students, inaugurated the MMSU President’s Farm located in front of the College of Agriculture and Forestry, July 3.

This is an idea derived from the customs of the King of Thailand and the Emperor of Japan who, in a propitious time of the year, take time to plant rice in their respective \"rice gardens,\" a tradition that rightfully honors rice as the staple food of their people. From this act of the nation’s leadership, the subordinate officials and the whole citizenry take the job of planting rice using the best agricultural practices.

The launch of the MMSU President’s Farm, which measures over half a hectare, is a show of support to the present national leadership’s goal of achieving 100 percent rice self-sufficiency by 2013. This project, managed by the Reseach Directorate and overseen by the Philippine Rice Research Institute, also reaffirms MMSU’s commitment as a National University of Agriculture.

Planted in the President’s Farm were 22 rice lines provided by Dr. Santiago R. Obien, second MMSU president. These include colored rice from PhilRice Negros: IRGC 3991, IRGC 80385, IRGC 74918, Malagaya, La Castellana, and Calantrava; and aromatic rice lines from PhilRice-CLSU and Maligaya: Basmati 385, Azucena x Basmati 370, Pirurutong, KDML 105, MS-1 (KDML 105), MS-2 (Basmati 385 selection), MS-3 (Kasturi, Original), MS-4 (Kasturi, Selection 1), MS-5 (Kasturi, Selection 2), MS-6 (Pandan), MS-7 (Jasmine), MS-8 (IR 841, check), Mestizo mutant 6-19 (A), Burdagol (Aromatic, check), and SL-9.

After Dr. Pascua and other university officials sowed the rice lines, it was the students’ turn to work in the fields.

Harvest time is expected in October.