Hybrid rice production was launched in the Philippines as a component of the Gintong Ani Program in 1997. Five years later, the Hybrid Rice Commercialization Program (HRCP) was launched by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a strategy to increase rice productivity and profitability for Filipino farmers. The HRCP aims to promote the widespread use of hybrid seeds in the country to enhance farmers’ productivity and income, and to generate employment in the rural areas. It has seven major components: hybrid rice commercial production (F1 cultivation), hybrid seed production, technology demonstrations, training, an information campaign, marketing assistance, and research and development.The HRCP has continuously been monitored and analyzed for its profitability and productivity impacts among its major stakeholders. From only 5,472 ha in the 2001 wet season (WS), hybrid rice production increased to 225,371 ha in the 2006 dry season (DS). Production increased significantly as well, from 29,233 tons in the 2001 WS to 1,309,502 tons in the 2006 DS. The actual farm yield average is at 5.8 t ha–1. Likewise, the number of farmer beneficiaries per season rose from 3,847 in the 2001 WS to 132,747 in the 2006 DS. In the recently launched rice self-sufficiency plan, hybrid rice is targeted to be planted on about 1.14 million hectares, of which 700,000 hectares will be planted for the dry season, and these are expected to produce 6.8 million tons of rice in 2009-10. The R&D activities in upstream research on hybrid parental lines, integrated crop management, and on-farm adaptive research are done continuously to develop suitable hybrids and the corresponding crop management strategies to attain optimum yields. Technology promotion is also done in conjunction with training of trainers and farmers to attain long-term national capacity development in hybrid rice. Hybrid rice technology has proven its potential as a key strategy for increasing national rice production and achieving food security and rice self-sufficiency. Much needs to be done, though, as we face more challenges ahead.Accordingly, there is a vital need to sustain and further enhance the productivity gains posted by the HRCP; refocus the HRCP in high-impact areas; continue funding support for R&D, technology promotion, and training; revisit the seed subsidy policy; strengthen the National Seed Quality Control Services; adopt a private sector–led approach in hybrid rice industry development; form strategic alliances; and continue and expand socioeconomic monitoring and evaluation of the HRCP.
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