New rice varieties seen raising harvests by 2027
The Philippines’ rice production is expected to get a boost from the development of new rice varieties, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
To boost harvests, PhilRice said select rice varieties will be multiplied by seed growers in time for the 2027 dry season and distributed to farmers ahead of the wet season.
The varieties for distribution will depend on yield, field performance and grain characteristics, along with farmers’ preferences.
“Farmers now have the opportunity to choose rice varieties that perform well in their own fields,” said Justine Ragos, PhilRice’s focal person for this initiative.
“Farmers often express that the varieties distributed to them do not always match their preferences,” Ragos said.
PhilRice has established 173 out of 180 trial sites nationwide for its variety field trials (VFT) to evaluate the performance of rice varieties.
The agency is testing 15 inbred rice varieties across 78 provinces to ensure seeds are suited for local soil and climatic conditions and match farmers’ preferences.
Both regionally and nationally recommended varieties are included in the assessment.
The agency said the trials compare the NSIC Rc 600-700 inbred series with farmer-preferred varieties currently in use.
About 93 percent of the target sites were established during the 2025 wet season. Of these, 69 sites have already been harvested amid typhoons and rodent infestations infecting plantations.
One of the varieties undergoing field trials matched the yield of the inbred rice variety NSIC Rc 222, also called Tubigan 18, and showed good eating quality.
Select PhilRice stations are conducting VFT Field Days to collate feedback of farmers, local government officials and seed growers on each variety. Their responses will be used to guide seed recommendations during local seed selection workshops.
The VFT is part of the seed component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, created under the Rice Tariffication Law to boost farmers’ productivity and income through various initiatives.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) expressed optimism about surpassing the previous record-high palay or unmilled rice output this year. This, despite the successive typhoons that hit the country, as more farmlands were now irrigated.
Before that, the DA slashed its 2025 palay harvest forecast, which ranged between 19.61 million metric tons (MT) to 19.89 million MT. The revision took into account the effect of weather disturbances on farmlands.
